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ILLUSTRATION No. 1. All important successful dredging is on the east side ot the Sacramento Valley region. 











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MAP 

SHOWING DREDGING LANDS 

ADJACENT TD FEATHER RIVER 

&(/rr£ coc/A/ry, cal/torm/a. 

By O. tV t/as/oer, £& M £. 



• 

DREDGES 

1. 

American No. 1 

2. 

American No. 2 

3. 

Biggs No. 1 

4. 

Boston No. 1 

5. 

Boston No. 2 

6. 

Butte 

1 . 

California No. 1 

8. 

California No. 2 

9. 

Cherokee 

10. 

Continental 

11. 

El Oro 

12. 

Feather River No. 1 

13. 

a a a 2 

14. 

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15. 

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16. 

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17.' 

Indiana No. 1 

18. 

Indiana No. 2 

19. 

Kia Ora 

20. 

Lava Beds No. 2 

21. 

Leggett No. 3 

22. 

Marigold No. 2 

23. • 

Oroville 

24. 

Pennsylvania No. 1 


location of dredges by W. K. Thohnk, 
Field Asaistant for Butte County. 


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BULLETIN No. 36 SAN FRANCISCO, JUNE, 1908 


GOLD DREDGING 

IN CALIFORNIA 


ISSUED BY 

THE CALIFORNIA STATE MINING BUREAU 

FERRY BUILDING, SAN FRANCISCO 


LEWIS E* AUBURY - - State Mineralogist 


(THIRD EDITION.} 



O * 

* » 

» > J 


SACRAMENTO: 

W. W. SHANNON.SUPERINTENDENT STATE PRINTING 


1908. 


no, /9 o $ 








D. OF 0. 
JU N 87 



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* •* 











LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. 



To Hon. George C. Pardee, Governor of California, and the Honorable 
Board of Trustees of the State Mining Bureau: 

Gentlemen: I have the honor to transmit Bulletin No. 36, “Gold 
Dredging in California.” The issuance of this Bulletin has been con¬ 
templated for some time, and some information concerning the subject 
was obtained in 1902, but owing to the rapid changes which have 
affected this branch of the gold mining industry, and the difficulty 
met with in securing accurate data which would serve to illustrate the 
actual conditions of gold dredging in this State, it has been deemed 
best to delay the publication of the report until the present time. 

The items of costs of operation, which are so vital to a publication of 
this nature, have been extremely difficult to obtain from many of the 
companies engaged in dredging. This has not been due particularly to 
any intention on the part of the companies to withhold the information, 
but to the fact that many operators have not until recently preserved a 
detailed record of expenditures. 

I wish to here extend many thanks to Col. J. E. Doolittle for his 
valuable assistance in the preparation of this Bulletin, and also to the 
many operators who have furnished information and assistance which 
have made this publication possible. 

I also wish to thank Mr. 0. W. Jasper of Oroville, Mr. Howard D. 
Smith, and Mr. A. H. Ward, who rendered assistance; also many 
others whose names are not here mentioned and who have aided in the 
work by furnishing valuable information. 

Engaged at various times in securing data for this report, and who 
were employed as Field Assistants, were Mr. P. C. Dubois, Mr. John 
D. McGillivray, Mr. William Forstner, and Mr. G. Holmes, to whom I 
wish to express due recognition for their services. 

Very truly, 

LEWIS E. AUBURY, 
State Mineralogist. 


San Francisco, May 15, 1905. 


no , /*?0 S’ 




CONTENTS. 


Page. 

HISTORY.7 

AREA OF DREDGE GRAVEL.14 

GEOLOGY.16 

AGRICULTURE.17 

YIELD FOR 1903 19 

THE DREDGE.19 

SCREENS, SLUICES, ETC..35 

CREW OF A DREDGE.41 

WORKING COSTS -------------- 42 

PROSPECTING AND EXAMINATION OF CONDITIONS.60 

OROVILLE DISTRICT.68 

YUBA DISTRICT.88 

BEAR RIVER DISTRICT.91 

FOLSOM DISTRICT.92 

CALAVERAS COUNTY.98 

PLUMAS COUNTY.98 

SHASTA COUNTY - 98 

TRINITY COUNTY.102 

SISKIYOU COUNTY.105 

APPENDIX—CALIFORNIA STATE MINING BUREAU.Ill 

DREDGE DATA ------------- Folder 


( 4 ) 






















LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Page. 

No. 1. Relief map of California. .. Frontispiece 

2. Map of Oroville dredging lands-..... .. ..-.Folder 

3. An “old timer”........ 8 

4. The old method of working the ground below Oroville. 9 

5. Treat’s old workings on Feather River.... 11 

6. First successful dredge in California... . 12 

7. Marion steam shovel dredge, Oroville. 13 

8. Tailings piles after dredging.... 18 

9. Dredger hull, in course of construction..... 20 

10. Dredger in course of construction, showing steel gauntry__ 21 

11. Digger end of ladder—latest type of close-connected buckets. Bucyrustype 22 

12. Digger end of ladder—latest type of intermittent buckets. Risdon type.... 23 

13. Digger starting cut on top of ground...... 24 

14. Bucket line in operation......... 24 

15. Close-connected buckets (loaded) Bucyrus type___ 27 

16. Close-connected buckets, 5 cubic feet capacity.. 28 

17. Open-connected buckets, 5 cubic feet capacity, Risdon type... 29 

18. Boston and Oroville Company’s dredge, showing spuds... 31 

19. Tailings stacker, belt conveyor..... . 32 

20. Tailings stacker, bucket conveyor.. 33 

21. Latest bucket stacking ladder..... 34 

22. Showing sand pump working.... 34 

23. Showing revolving screen........—. 36 

24. Gold-saving tables—Hungarian riffles and quicksilver .. 37 

25. Gold-saving tables—cocoa matting and expanded metal riffles.... 39 

26. Bucyrus type of dredge, with close-connected buckets, shaking screens, belt 

conveyor, and spuds------ --- 43 

27. Risdon type of dredge, with open-connected buckets, revolving screen, 

bucket conveyor, and headlines.... .. . 45 

28. Oroville Gold Dredging and Exploration Company’s dredge, “ Biggs No. 2 ” 53 

29. Keystone drill at work at Oroville to prospect for values and determine 

character of gravel.. .-...... 62 

30. Typical vertical sections of borings in four different California fields. 64 

31. General view of the Oroville dredging district. 68 

32. General view of the Oroville dredging ground on Feather River, looking 

north.-.--... -. 69 

33. Dredge of the Feather River Exploration Company, Oroville. Risdon type 71 

34. Front end of Dipper dredge, Oroville......—. 72 

35. Stacker end of dredge, showing height of tailings piles. Lava Beds 

Dredging Co., Oroville.-------... 72 

36. Oroville Gold Dredging Company’s dredge, Marion steam shovel type. .. . 74 


































6 


LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Page. 


No. 37. Indiana Gold Dredging and Mining Company’s dredges, No. 1 and No. 2, 

Bucyrus type.. ...... 75 

38. Indiana Gold Dredging and Mining Company’s dredge,. Bucyrus type, 

showing close-connected buckets----- 76 

39. Kia Ora dredge. Oroville. Risdon type.... 77 

40. Cherokee dredge, Oroville. Bucyrus type...... 79 

41. Pennsylvania Gold Dredging Company- 80 

42. Pennsylvania Gold Dredging Company’s dredge, Oroville. Golden State 

and Miners’ Iron Works, builders______ 81 

43. El Oro Dredging Company’s dredge, Oroville. Link Dredge Machine Com¬ 

pany’s type -------- 82 

44. Viloro dredge, Oroville. Latest type Bucyrus dredge.... 83 

45. Boston and Oroville Dredging Company’s dredge, Oroville. Risdon type.. 84 

46. Boston and Oroville Dredging Company’s dredge, ‘‘Continental.” Bucyrus 

type as remodeled..... 85 

47. California No. 3, Oroville, built by the Marion Steam Shovel Company_ 86 

48. Marigold No. 1, Marigold Dredging Company, near Oroville_ 87 

49. Front view of the Marigold Dredging Company’s dredge, near Oroville_ 87 

50. Stacker end of Marigold Dredging Company’s dredge___ 89 

51. Yuba Consolidated Gold Fields dredges, each of 6 cubic feet bucket capacity. 

Bucyrus type........... 89 

52. Yuba Consolidated Gold Fields dredges, each of 6 cubic feet bucket capacity. 

Bucyrus type........ 90 

53. Ashburton Mining Company’s dredge, at Folsom, Sacramento County. 

Buckets 7| cubic feet capacity..... 94 

54. El Dorado No. 1, Folsom field. Latest type of Risdon boat..... 95 

55. Dredge of the Colorado-Pacific Gold Dredging Company, Folsom .. 96 

56. Syndicate Mining Company’s dredge, Folsom. Bucyrus type... 97 

57. The bedrock of the Sacramento River at the mouth of Middle Creek, above 

Redding........... 99 

58. Current breakers and caissons of the Huron Submarine Mining and Con¬ 

struction Company, at Redding..... 101 

59. Huron Submarine Mining and Construction Company’s caisson dredge, 

above Redding......... 101 

60. Galvin Gold Dredging Company of Weaverville, Trinity County..102 

61. Galvin Gold Dredging Company’s dredge, Trinity County, showing char¬ 

acter of gravel______103 

62. Poker Bar dredge, Trinity County___ 104 

63. Dredge of the Yreka Creek Gold Dredging and Mining Company, Siskiyou 

County.....:...... 106 

64. Consolidated Mining and Dredging Company’s dredge and caisson. 107 

65. Ferry Building, San Francisco.... 110 

66. Mineral Museum, State Mining Bureau .. 113 

67. Library and Free Reading-Room. State Mining Bureau.. 115 

68. Laboratory, State Mining Bureau.. 117 

69. Map of field of operations in Folsom District, showing locations of dredg¬ 

ing companies........ Folder 


70. “Dredge Data”........ Folder 


































GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


By .1. K. DOOI.1TTLE, m.M. 


HISTORY. 

It is popularly supposed that mining for gold with dredges is an 
industry which has grown up within the last decade, and that it was 
a success almost from the beginning. This is not true. There are 
bleaching skeletons of dredges scattered over California and New 
Zealand, some of which were built nearly half a century ago. There 
was a dredge near Oroville, on the Feather River, in the fifties. It is 
over forty years since dredging was first tried in New Zealand. 
Spasmodic attempts were made in this direction on the Pacific Coast 
and in New Zealand from that time on. These efforts, futile as they 
were, so far as giving dividends to shareholders go, were of great value 
to the miner and mining engineer of to-day. These failures were their 
warnings. 

As a result, this class of mining, if properly directed, is now as safe 
as any, provided that skilled investigators direct the investment and 
use of capital, and see that it is only invested where conditions permit 
of successful work. 

Any one investigating the processes at Oroville or Folsom, or in 
New Zealand, where conditions are known by actual practice, will find 
that the difficulties have been largely overcome because the conditions 
have been studied by skilled men at large expense, and met with appli¬ 
ances fitted for the local needs, not only as to the digging of the ground, 
but also as to the saving of the gold. 

But Linder other conditions, in other districts, the dredges so suc¬ 
cessful at Oroville or Folsom, or in New Zealand, would be failures as 
to some of their parts. To explain: At Oroville, the gravel is loose, 
free from clay. There are no large bowlders, the bedrock is soft, the 
gold is fine and it easily amalgamates. Along the streams in the 
mountains of California the bowlders are larger, the bedrock harder, 
and in places in Idaho and Colorado the gold will not amalgamate 
owing to the presence of arsenic. Then there are many other condi¬ 
tions. that differ in other places. Some of these difficulties may be 
overcome by slight changes, either in the digging part of the dredge 











8 


GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


or in the gold-saving appliances; but some of them, such as hard bed¬ 
rock, in cases are fatal to successful dredging. 

The conditions bearing on the cost of operation are such that each 
tract of ground becomes a problem in itself, and any attempt to use the 
costs obtained under one set of conditions, on which to predicate 
those which would hold under another, without a thorough knowledge 
of the various elements which enter into the problem, will lead to large 
discrepancies between the results predicted and those actually obtained, 
with a possible consequent failure of the enterprise. 

There have been built in California many dredges that have failed 



ILL. No. 3. AN “OLD TIMER,” ILLUSTRATING ONE OF THE EARLY MISTAKES OF 

DREDGE BUILDING. 


and become total losses. Tet to-day, with all the data at hand for any 
careful investigator, there should be little excuse for failure. The 
varying conditions that exist where dredging is being done at Oroville, 
Folsom, in Trinity County, in Idaho, Montana, Colorado, British 
Columbia, the Klondike, Alaska, and New Zealand, both as to the 
digging of the gravel and the saving of the gold, give the miner the 
actual experience necessary for him to come to conclusions under most 
circumstances. 

The illustration entitled “An Old Timer” illustrates one of the early 
mistakes in dredge building in this State. This machine, on which 







ILL. No. 4. THE OLD METHOD OF WORKING THE GROUND BELOW OROVILLE IN THE 60’S AND 70’S. FROM AN OIL PAINTING. 











10 


GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


some $40,000 was expended, is very odd, in view of later improved 
gold dredges. The bucket ladder is made of two pieces of 4-inch by 
18-inch Oregon pine. The buckets are made of No. 14 iron; the links 
of %-inch by 2-inch tire-iron, and put, together with %-inch carriage 
bolts. It was driven first by steam and then by a gasoline engine. It 
is reported to have dug 8,000 yards in the period between March, 1902, 
and July, 1904. Its running time could hardly have been over one 
hour per day, being shut down almost constantly for repairs. It now 
stands idle in ground that dredged 30 cents per cubic yard. 

The single-bucket or spoon dredge was evolved in New Zealand in 
the early sixties, and was worked entirely by hand. A steam single- 
bucket dredge was built in 1870. About 1880, bucket and ladder 
dredges were introduced. These were nearly all worked with power 
furnished by current wheels. The first steam chain bucket dredges of 
the present type were introduced about 1882. One dredge of this 
class, built about that time, was successfully worked for sixteen years. 
On account of the success of a dredge in 1889, on a branch of the 
Molyneux River, some twenty were built at an average cost of $17,500, 
but were failures, owing mainly to the fact that the ground was not 
suitable for dredging and the management bad. Many of these dredges 
were floated down to the Molyneux River, and under new ownership 
were made successful. Then a number of suction dredges were built, 
but proved complete failures. Since then, the endless-chain bucket 
dredge, similar to those used in California, has held the field. In New 
Zealand, at the end of 1902, there were 201 dredges working, 52 stand¬ 
ing, 23 building, 14 under removal, and 2 wrecked—a total of 292. 

The first successful endless-chain bucket dredge in the United States 
was built in 1894 at Grasshopper Creek, in Montana. Many attempts 
to dredge had been made on the Pacific Coast, but it was not until 1897 
that a dredge of the present type was built in California. In the sum¬ 
mer of 1895, W. P. Hammon and Warren Treat, who were interested 
in horticulture near Oroville, were working some gravels for gold on 
property now owned by the Feather River Exploration Company. Mr. 
Treat had made a pit about 100 feet square down to bedrock, using a 
centrifugal pump to keep the water out, and hauling the gravel in 
wagons out to small sluice-boxes, where it was washed. The gravel was 
handled several times by manual labor, and in spite of the heavy costs 
for labor and pumping water, there was a profit. Mr. Hammon had 
another pit, but on approaching bedrock found that the great amount 
of water coming in would make mining at a profit difficult. 

My attention was called to these cases and I visited the property, 
and, after consulting with Mr. Hammon as to the best process for 
working, suggested hydraulic elevators; but it was found, on investi- 






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12 


GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


gation, that the distance necessary to convey water and the large 
amount of water in the ground itself, to be handled, would make this 
impracticable. At that time little was known of dredging in Califor¬ 
nia. However, I had purchased some of the land through Mr. Ham- 
mon and A. F. Jones. A few months later I met, in San Francisco, 
Capt. Thomas Couch and F. T. Southerland, from Montana, who were 
looking for mining properties. To them I suggested the Feather River 
gravels, and there they went, and, with Mr. Hammon, after prospect¬ 
ing for about a year, purchased 1,000 acres, which is now being worked 
by five dredges. 



ILL. No. 6. DREDGE No. 1, FEATHER RIVER EXPLORATION COMPANY, OROVILLE. 
RISDON TYPE. FIRST SUCCESSFUL DREDGE IN CALIFORNIA; STILL OPERATING. 


While they were prospecting this ground, R. H. Postlethwaite, a 
New Zealand engineer, who had come to California to look over the 
dredging field, had constructed, by the Risclon Iron Works, a 3% cu. ft. 
bucket dredge, to be used near Smartsville, on the Yuba River. While 
the dredge itself was satisfactory, the conditions did not permit of a 
financial success in working. 

The first dredge at Oroville, built for the Feather River Exploration 
Company, began work March 1, 1898. It was designed by Mr. 
Postlethwaite, and built by the Risclon Iron Works. This dredge is 
still being successfully operated; it has been strengthened, however, in 
parts. 






ILL. No. 7. MARION STEAM SHOVEL DREDGE, OROVILLE. 






14 


GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


Steam was used at first, but now all the dredges in the Sacramento 
Valley districts are worked by electric power. During the first two 
years of successful dredging at Oroville with endless-chain bucket 
dredges, a number of attempts were made to dredge with suction and 
other styles of dredges, but all these, with the exception of one steam 
shovel dredge, were failures. 

AREA OF DREDGE GRAVEL. 

The following table will show, in a general way, the acreage of 
gravel under consideration for dredging. It is probable that these 
figures will in many cases be increased and other districts opened : 


Average Value 
per Cubic Yard, 

District. Acreage. in cents. 

Oroville__ 7,500 17 

Yuba River_ 5,000 25 to 30 

Bear River_ 1,000 18 to 30 

Folsoin_ 5,000 15 to 25 

Calaveras_ 350 10 to 22 

Stanislaus___ 1,200 15 to 30 

Trinity...... 1,000 

Shasta_ 1,500 

Siskiyou__ 1,000 

Plumas._ 1,500 


Total.. _______ 25,050 


In Stanislaus County considerable prospecting has been done, and 
about 1,200 acres has been proved to contain values sufficient to war¬ 
rant dredging. 

In Shasta County, drilling is being done on Cottonwood Creek and 
on land opposite Redding on the Sacramento River, and on Clear Creek. 

In El Dorado County some land on the South Fork of the American 
River, near Coloma, is being considered, but not yet reported proved. 

In all these districts, and at other points in the Sacramento water¬ 
shed especially, there are considerable areas of dredge gravel, most of 
which have been more or less examined, but not proved to be of suffi¬ 
cient value to work at the present cost. 

The best dredge authorities claim that by proving good grade of pay 
in some of this outlying ground and reducing working costs, at least 
25,000 acres will in time be added to the fields which it is already 
decided to dredge in the Sacramento Valley. 

In this connection experiments are being made with a view to work¬ 
ing by a process similar to the present dredging system, but at much 
lower cost. Those interested do not care to give out any data at 
present. 
















GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


15 


It may seem a simple thing, to those who know, to say that there is a 
great diversity in methods of gravel mining caused by varying con¬ 
ditions of the deposits, and that the method in vogue in one case may 
mean failure in another. Yet the want of this knowledge has been the 
cause of immense waste of capital. There have been large sums of 
money lost in trying to hydraulic drifting ground. Attempts have 
been made to use hydraulic elevators to work dredging ground, where 
there was an excess of water to be handled. Dredges have been built 
to work ground that could be worked only by means of hydraulic 
elevators. There are many thousands of acres of gravel, mostly 
lacustrine deposits, in California and other states and territories on 
the Pacific Coast and in Alaska that is free from water and should be 
worked with steam shovels, which people are now exploiting with a 
view to working with dredges. In other words, they are proposing to 
make a condition—by flooding the ground with water—that means an 
unnecessary cost. A study of the conditions existing will lead to con¬ 
clusions as to methods to be adopted; and in this way only can 
economic success be made. 

The different kinds of gravel mining, it may be said, are: 

First —Ordinary hydraulic mining, requiring water under pressure 
and a good dump, with gravel easily removable. 

Second —There are the drift mines in layers of gravel deposits over¬ 
capped with lava or other material of such great depth that only 
underground or drift mining is possible. 

Third —There are the bars along the rivers, based on hard bedrock, 
that must be worked with hydraulic elevators for want of dumping 
facilities, and which can not be worked with dredges because the bed¬ 
rock is hard. Yet, in these cases it must be understood that even 
hydraulic elevators are of no use if there is an excess of water. 

Fourth —There is the gravel with an excess of water, with soft bed¬ 
rock, that can only be worked with dredges. 

It would be futile to hydraulic the lava-capped divides in Placer 
and other counties in California; yet this has been attempted. They 
must be drifted. 

It would be impossible to make an economic success of the use of 
hydraulic elevators at Oroville or Folsom, on account of the excess of 
water in the gravel; yet this has been attempted. 

In some mountainous districts in California, dredges have been tried 
and have proved failures, because the bedrock was too hard to dig and 
the gold could not be lifted. 

Then there are cases where the excess of water prevents the use of 
hvdraulic elevators, and the hardness of the bedrock and the conse- 

•7 ' 

quent conditions that usually follow prevent the use of dredges. Yet 




16 


GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


inventions not now known may be made to work these gravels at a 
profit. 

Then again, there are large tracts of gravel, usually of lacustrine 
deposit, in the Sierras, not deep, and not overcapped with lava, that 
afford good opportunity for the use of steam shovels. 

GEOLOGY. 

While dredge mining is being conducted, under conditions appar¬ 
ently satisfactory to those engaged in the industry, in the Sacramento 
Valley districts of Oroville, Yuba, Folsom, and Calaveras, and on the 
Bear River, there is an interesting geological feature worthy of more 
than a passing thought, and that is that all of this dredging is being 
done on what may be considered a superficial layer of gravel, under¬ 
laid by a stratum of volcanic mud and sand, the deposition of which, 
of course, antedated the deposition of this gravel. 

The gold-bearing veins existed and were eroded for a great period of 
time, antedating the volcanic activity which is such a prominent 
feature of the Sierra Nevadas, and the ancient rivers deposited their 
gold-bearing debris upon the original bedrock, both within the limits 
of their rims and upon the floor of the great interior valley—the 
present valley of the Sacramento River—which at that time was a vast 
fresh-water lake. 

Subsequently the volcanic activity resulted, in many instances, in 
filling the old gold-bearing rivers to the brim with a vast quantity of 
volcanic material, now recognized in the mud, tufa, and breccia over- 
lying the ancient river channels, and, as a matter of course, this 
volcanic material was carried out into the estuaries, extending even 
into the lake itself to a considerable distance, and covering the pre¬ 
viously deposited gold-bearing gravel. The subsequent uplift of the 
whole Sierra Nevada system has resulted in the exposure of these lake- 
beds along the eastern edge of the Sacramento Valley. 

The subsequent erosion of modern streams, cutting through the 
original ancient river channels, and often into the underlying bedrock, 
with its complex system of gold-bearing veins, resulted in the formation 
of a later bed of gravel, which rests upon the volcanic sands and mud 
of the lake. 

Doubtless this process has been repeated a number of times, and this 
point could be determined by drilling or by sinking shafts. But it is 
clearly evident that the present dredging is not in deposits of gravel 
resting on the true bedrock—the slates and schists which form the 
adjacent foothills—but in later, and, quite likely, less valuable gravel. 

In many ancient river channels there are sometimes two or three 
gold-bearing strata, called by the miners “leads,” and the stratum 





GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


17 


of gravel on the bedrock is usually the richest, while the upper strata 
are relatively of less value in gold per cubic yard. There are, how¬ 
ever, instances contrary to this, where one of the upper strata is of more 
value; but this is due to local conditions, probably generally to the 
erosion of other preexisting beds of gravel. Why this principle should 
not be proved true in this lake is well worth considering. 

Similar conditions have been found to exist in the Cariboo country 
in British Columbia, and in some of the mountain districts of Cali¬ 
fornia outside of the Sacramento Valley region. 

The discovery, however, of good value in these lower strata might 
not lead to satisfactory economic results, because the expense of hand¬ 
ling large bodies of water that might be encountered would handicap 
any venture in that direction. 

AGRICULTURE. 

The question of reclaiming these lands for agriculture after they 
shall have been dredged is hardly worth discussing at present; but, in 
course of time, as farming lands become more valuable, they could be 
leveled with scrapers run by electric power and then covered with 
soil hydraulicked in the foothills and run down by flume. In the 
meantime, however, a large proportion of the rocks will disintegrate 
and so make soil. 

However, should these lands be reclaimed, their average value for 
agriculture would be much higher than it was before they were sold to 
the dredge companies. Some of them were unfit for cultivation and 
very little were worth more than from $15 to $35 per acre in the Oroville 
district, but probably as much as from $50 to $60 per acre in the Folsom 
district. A small proportion was covered with orchards and vine¬ 
yards, and so was worth more. Yet, as much as $1,000 per acre was 
paid by the miners for some land about Oroville, and an average of 
about $100 per acre for the whole Oroville tract. In other words, the 
owners received from the miners from three to five times the value of 
their property for agriculture in this district. 

Granting that these lands will never be reclaimed, it may be asked, is 
not their destruction a distinct benefit to the State? Take the Oro¬ 
ville district, for instance. The farm owners have received nearly a 
million dollars for their land. There have been built over thirty 
dredges and several shops, at a cost of nearly $2,000,000, a large part 
of which has been paid in wages. Probably as many more dredges will 
be built before the tract is worked out. It is estimated that the cost of 
repairs and renewal of parts during the life of each dredge will amount 
to as much as the first cost. It would take twenty years with thirty 
dredges to work the tract, and this means the employment of at least 
500 men, with families dependent upon them, to say nothing of the 

2 —GD 


18 


GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


men employed in the building of the dredges and in the shops. This 
means the payment, in wages, of over $1,000,000 a year, and a livelihood 
for two or three thousand people, if we include those dependent upon 
the wage-earners. From this tract will be produced in gold, to be 
added to the wealth of the State, about $60,000,000. 

From the dredging ground in the Sacramento Valley districts 
(estimated at 25,000 acres) which have been proved, and which it has 
been decided to work, there should be produced an average of 15 cents 
per cubic yard; and if we allow a depth of 9 yards, the estimated 
— 



ILL. No. 8. TAILINGS PILES AFTER DREDGING. MARIGOLD DREDGING COMPANY, 

OROVILLE. 


25,000 acres will produce $163,350,000 in gold, to be added to the 
wealth of the State. 

Placing the average value of all this ground, both that which is and 
that which is not suitable for agriculture, at $40 per acre for that pur¬ 
pose, the loss amounts to no more than $1,000,000. 

In connection with the question of reclaiming these dredging' 
grounds, it may be mentioned that James H. Leggett, owner of dredges 
at Oroville, has begun some experiments by planting eucalyptus and 
olive trees on the rock piles, with a few spadefuls of earth at the roots 
of each tree, and they are thriving. In New Zealand, experiments 
with a view to making forest land of the dredge ground are reported 
to be meeting with success. 




GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


19 


YIELD FOR 1903. 

The output in gold, in 1903, from all the dredges in California, 
according to the returns made to the United States Mint, was 
$1,475,749. The yield for 1902 was $867,665, showing an increase of 
$608,084 for 1903. The returns for 1903 were from 25 dredges in the 
Oroville district in Butte County, 3 dredges in the Folsom district in 
Sacramento County, I dredge in Siskiyou County, 1 dredge in Trinity 
County, and 1 dredge in Yuba County. Of the total for 1903, 
$1,329,998 came from Butte County, meaning the Oroville district. 
There will be an increase for 1904 beyond the proportionate increase 
in the number of dredges, because the new dredges are of larger 
capacity and improvements have been made in the old dredges. 

At the beginning of 1905 there were, in the Oroville district, 28 
dredges; in Calaveras County, 1 dredge; in the Folsom district, 5 
dredges; in Shasta County, 2 dredges; in Trinity County, 1 dredge; in 
Siskiyou County, 1 dredge; in Yuba County, 2 dredges; total, 40 
dredges, as against 31 dredges for 1903. Some of the dredges worked 
only part of 1903, having been built during the year. Taking into 
consideration the increased average yardage of these dredges and the 
fact that a number of new ones will be in operation during part of the 
year, the yield for 1905 may be expected to be considerably more than 
double that of 1903. 


THE DREDGE. 

The continuous-chain bucket dredge is practically the only type that 
is in successful operation in the gravels of the Sacramento Valley dis¬ 
tricts, New Zealand, Montana, Idaho, Colorado, and Oregon, and it 
holds the field in gravel where there is an excess of water and where 
conditions are generally favorable for dredging. There are many dif¬ 
ferences in detail in the different dredges, but under favorable con¬ 
ditions, such as exist in the Sacramento Valley district, in New Zealand, 
in the States named, and in Alaska, the results obtained from these 
dredges do not differ much except where the conditions are abnormal 
and difficult. The dredge in use is much like the ordinary continuous- 
chain bucket dredge used for other work, so far as the digging part 
goes, except that the size of shaftings and strength and weight of all 
parts are greatly increased. For gold mining it consists of a hull, a 
digger, screen, sluice-table and sluice-boxes, a stacker, a pump, amalga¬ 
mator, and sometimes a sand pump, with lines or lines and spuds to 
hold the boat in position, and separate motors for each part where 
power is required. 



20 


GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


Hull— So far, in California, all the hulls are made of wood, but 
some dredges sent to Dutch Guiana have been built with steel hulls. 
This hull is rectangular in shape, with a slightly reduced width in the 
bow of the boat. As, practically speaking, all the parts of the 
machinery of a dredge are renewed during the life of the dredge, it 
has been suggested that steel hulls would give a longer life and more 
solidity; but so far none have been constructed, and probably will not 
be until there is a nearer approach to perfection of the machinery and 
a better knowledge is had of the limits of the capacity of the dredges, 

— ~ 



ILL. No. 9. HULL OF BOSTON AND OROVILLE DREDGING COMPANY’S DREDGE, ORO- 

VILLE, IN COURSE OF CONSTRUCTION IN 1901. 


for the tendency is to discard the smaller dredges and to build those of 
larger capacity. 

To allow the digging ladder and its chain of buckets to descend to 
the bottom of the ground to be worked, the hull in the forward part is 
divided by an opening called the well, in which the ladder is moved up 
and down. The dimensions of the hull vary with the size of the 
buckets, as may be seen by reference to the accompanying folder of 
particulars as to dredges. The hulls vary in width from 30 to 40 feet, 
in length from 80 to 120 feet, and in depth from 7 to 9 feet. 

Gauntries .—Near the center of the hull there is a main gauntry, to 
support the upper end of the digging ladder and the main drive of the 
























22 


GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


bucket chain. These have commonly been made of wood, but lately 
some have been constructed of steel plates. There is a stern gauntry 
to support the tail sluices, the conveyor ladder, and the spuds, if they 
«re used. 

Digger .—This consists of a ladder frame, built strongly of iron or 
steel, so that a chain of buckets may travel continuously around its 
length. On the best of these, manganese steel is used in the lips and 
bushings of the bucket, and on the ladder rollers. It has been found 
that a large saving in cost of repairs, which is the main cost, and 



ILL. No. 11. DETAILS OF BUCKET CHAIN, LATEST TYPE BUCYRUS DREDGE—BIGGS No. 2. 


where future saving can be made in the cost of dredging, is m 
strengthening the wearing parts of these buckets and links. A refer¬ 
ence to the tables of cost will show how large is the proportion of the 
cost of working caused by the breaking of buckets and other parts of 
the digger. However, this has been very much reduced since the first 
successful work was done at Oroville, and is being continually reduced 
as new dredges are constructed. The greatest improvements are now 
being made by the use of special steels and in the shape of the buckets. 

The bucket line is either what is called of a “close connection” or of 
an “open connection”; that is, the buckets follow each other on each 
link of the chain, or there are open links between the buckets. Wher- 







GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


23 


ever there are no large bowlders and the gravel is comparatively loose, 
there can be no question that the close-connected buckets, with less 
speed, will dig more ground than will the open-connected. As to the 
difference between the open- and the close-connected bucket in hard 
ground, the question as to the greatest capacity has not been settled, 
but it is probable that the close-connected bucket will give more sat¬ 
isfactory results. However, where there are large bowlders, the open 
connection must be used, or the backs of the buckets will be jammed 
and broken. The close-connected buckets are run at a lower rate of 
chain speed than the open-connected buckets, the former moving at the 



ILL. No. 12. DIGGING END OF “ EL DORADO No. 1.” IMPROVED RISDON TYPE, INTER¬ 
MITTENT BUCKET. 

rate of about 50 feet, or 18 to 25 buckets, per minute, and the latter at 
the rate of 60 feet, or 12 to 15 buckets, per minute. Yet, in hard 
ground the open-connected buckets are filled to their full capacity more 
often than are the close-connected buckets. In this connection it may 
be said that most of the newer dredges at Oroville and Folsom are 
equipped with close-connected buckets. 

Owing to the greater weight of the close-connected chain of buckets 
and greater yardage handled, more power is required than for open- 
connected buckets. The following tables will give an idea of this 
difference: 











felflp 


SPpM] 


ILL. No. 13. 


BUCYRUS MACHINE 


STARTING CUT IN TOP GROUND. 
OROYILLE FIELD. 


VILORO DREDGE, 



ILL. No. 14. BUCKET LINE IN OPERATION. LAVA BEDS DREDGE No. 3, 









GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


25 


The different motors in the Oroville Gold Dredging and Exploration 
Company’s 5-foot Risdon dredge are of the following capacities: 

Horse-power. 


Main drive.._______ 50 

Stacker and screens______ 20 

Sidelines and head lines____ 10 

Ladder hoist_____ ____ 15 

Water pump.._______ 40 

Primer pump_______ 3 


Total----.-.... 138 


The average amount of horse-power used in the dredge was 90. No 
returns were made of the proportion of the full capacity of each motor 
used. 

The following figures are given by the builders of the Bucyrus, 
close-connected, belt-conveyor, shaking screen dredges, as to the horse¬ 
power of the motors as built: 


Dredge with 3 eu. ft. Buckets. Horse power. 

Digging motor.... 50 

Winch motor_ _______ 15 

Screen and conveyors..... 20 

Water pump________ 30 

Sand pump________ 30 

Priming pump__ ____ 3 


Total_________ 148 

Actual consumption, about 100 H P. 

Dredge with 5 cu. ft. Buckets. 

Digging motor-----75 or 100 

Winch motor........ 20 

Screen. 15 

Conveyor_______ 10 or 15 

Water pump-- 50 

Sand pump_ 30 

Priming and clean-up..... 5 


Total.......... 235 

Actual consumption, about 125 to 150 H. P. 

Dredge with 6 cu. ft. Buckets. 

Digging motor-- 100 

Winch motor......... 30 

Screen- 15 

Stacker..------. 15 

Water. 50 

Sand pump.—.----- 50 

Priming and clean-up------ 7* 


Total..... 267* 

Actual consumption, not known yet. 






































26 


GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


The following data have been given as to the actual consumption of 
power, as per report in L. J. Hohl ’s paper read before the California 
Miners’ Association: 

For a 3 cu. ft. close-connected bucket dredge, with shaking screen 
and belt conveyor: 

Main drive...-.-... -. 

Stacker and screen------. 

Water pump______ 

Winches, maximum... ..-.. . 

Sand pump---- -- 

For a 5 cu. ft. dredge of the same type: 

Main drive------ 42 to 70 

Stacker and screen---- - 10 to 20 

Water pump ...... - - -----50 to 75 

Winches, maximum___ _-.- .... -* 

Sand pump, not tested. 

For a 5 cu. ft. open-connected bucket dredge, with revolving screen and 


bucket conveyor: 

Main drive_______ 00 

Water pump----- -- 52 

Screen and stacker_ r ._-------- 


Other motors, not tested. 

Yuba dredge, 0 cu. ft. buckets, close-connected, with shaking screen and 


belt conveyor. This dredge digs 60 feet deep: 

Main drive_ 108 

Watei pump- 68 

Sand pump_ 63 

Stacker____ - - --- -- 0 

Shaking screen_ 11 

Auxiliary supply_ 13 


Buckets .—The buckets at Folsom, Oroville, and Yuba vary in size 
from 3 cubic feet capacity up to 8y 2 cubic feet, and it is proposed now 
to build a dredge at Folsom with buckets of 13 cubic feet capacity. 
They vary considerably in shape, and in the material used, but some 
of the best are those that are made with a cast nickel steel bottom 
piece, with sheet steel hood and manganese steel lips, and reinforced 
cutting edges. If a comparison could be made as to the breakage and 
consequent extra cost between the earlier buckets made and those now 
being turned out, a great advance would be shown, and greater 
advances are possible. This is a matter for the consideration of the 
manufacturers and the engineers in charge of the plants. 

As to the difference in cost of operating under favorable and simi¬ 
lar conditions with the different sized buckets, it may be said that 
the cost for labor is nearly the same for the small as for the large 
dredge, and much smaller per cubic yard for the larger; that there 
is a proportionately smaller cost for power and for repairs. Manage¬ 
ment and all other expenses are reduced in the larger dredges, pro- 


Horse-power. 
_ . 26 to 45 
__ 12 to 16 
45 to 50 
28 

.. 32 to 50 






















•• 




ILL. No. If). CLOSE-CONNECTED BUCKETS, BUCYRUS TYPE-LOADED. 












































I 


®,1 


:§] 


ILL. No. 17. OPEN-CONNECTED BUCKETS, RISDON TYPE, 5 CU. FT. CAPACITY. 









30 


GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


vided, of course, that in their construction there is given, by the 
strengthening of the parts, as little loss by breakdowns. Then, it may 
be said, that the larger buckets will handle larger bowlders and so 
decrease the breakage in the bucket line. The parts being heavier, it 
is possible to dig harder ground. The increased yardage handled will 
mean a decrease in the interest cost on the original investment. As 
against this, it may be said that the first cost is much larger, and that 
better equipped repair shops are required. 

The weakest portions of the bucket bottom are the eyes and the 
parts coming in contact with the manganese or nickel steel wearing 
plates of the upper and lower tumblers. As these wear there is an 
increase in danger of breakage, and it is to the manufacturers that 
we must look for remedies in this respect, by the addition of more 
metal to add strength and compensate for wear, by improvement in 
the character of the steel used, and by changes in the faces of the 
tumblers in order to give better bearing and reduce the strain. Simpler 
and stronger parts of the best materials must be used to remedy the 
present evils. 

Spuds and Head Lines .—To keep the dredge in place, move it about, 
and hold it against the bank, there are two methods in use: (1) Two 
spuds, one of steel, and one of wood at the stern of the boat—the 
wooden spud being used when the steel spud is lifted and it is desired 
to “walk” the boat ahead. At the forward end of the boat are two 
steel-wire rope lines fastened to the shore to move the boat to right 
and left through an arc of a circle, and two at the stern. (2) Instead 
of spuds and lines, five lines are used—two at the stern, two forward, 
and one ahead to hold the boat against the bank. 

In the lighter and softer ground in New Zealand, the guy method 
seems to be preferred, but in Oroville both methods are in vogue. 

Where the surface of the ground is level, and the ground to be 
dug is soft and shallow, some of the dredge owners prefer the lines. 
An uneven surface of the ground, hard gravel or deep gravel makes 
the spuds preferable. Most of the largest operators in Oroville equip 
boats with both, but use the head line only in emergencies. When 
using guys only, the digging must be done only from the bottom; while 
with the spuds the bank may be cut in terraces, and this is sometimes 
preferable in deep ground. 

In deep ground when cutting the bank by digging from the bottom 
up in terraces, or down, there is less danger of injury to the bucket 
line and cleaner lifting of all gravel if spuds are used. This means 
that there would be less loss of pay gravel caved down behind 
where the digger is working, and less loss of time and consequent 
























32 


GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


less loss of capacity in yardage. However, several operators state 
that with a head line instead of spuds in digging deep ground, the 
dredge may be moved more quickly in case of heavy caving of the 
bank, and so save accidents. Then, again, the use of the head line gives 
an easier and more even distribution of the tailings, and, it is claimed, 
makes the sand pump unnecessary. 



ILL. No. 19. TAILINGS STACKER, BELT CONVEYOR. 

The Stacker .—There are two types of stackers in use in California— 
one the ordinary belt conveyor, and the other an endless chain of 
buckets. (See Ill. Nos. 19, 20, 21.) Usually, the Bucyrus dredges, 
and other makes except the Risdon, are equipped with belt conveyors, 
while the Risdon is equipped with bucket conveyors. The belt con¬ 
veyor will not work at a higher grade than 18 or 20 per cent, while the 
bucket conveyor works usually at 35 degrees. The belt of the former 
must be renewed every six or nine months. This makes the cost of 













GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


33 


“repairs” considerably more than for the bucket conveyor. However, 
to offset this, there is considerably less loss of time with the belt con¬ 
veyor from this cause, for practically the only wearing part is the belt, 
and when this wears out, a new one can be put in in a few hours. Some 
of the tables of loss of time and cost of repairs of conveyor give figures 
so that comparisons can be made, but hardly enough data have been 
kept to figure closely on the differences. 



ILL. No. 20. TAILINGS STACKER, BUCKET CONVEYOR. 

In New Zealand a number of dredges equipped with centrifugal 
stackers are in use. It is claimed for them that the original cost 
is less, that the weight saves several tons on the boats, that the cost 
of repairs is less, and that the efficiency is as great as for the belt 
and bucket conveyors. However, none have been built in California 
and no definite data are at hand. 


3—GL> 














ILL. No. 21. CONTINUOUS-BUCKET STACKING LADDER ON “EL DORADO No. 1,” 
DRIVEN BY INDEPENDENT MOTOR IN SMALL MOTOR HOUSE ON TOP OF 
LADDER. LATEST TYPE RISDON DREDGE. 



ILL. No. 22. INDIANA No. I, OROVILLE. SHOWING SAND PUMP WORKING 











GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


35 


Sand Pumps .—In order to prevent the filling up of the basin in 
which the dredge floats and consequent interference with its flotation, 
in many cases at Oroville it has been found necessary to pump the 
fine tailings that come from the sluice-box up to the top of the rock 
pile made by the stacker (see Ill. No. 22). As this requires considerable 
power, it is discarded wherever possible. In deep ground with deep 
water, it is not required. 


SCREENS, SLUICES, ETC. 

The conditions that are most important to be considered in order to 
determine the kind of appliances to use in saving the values are: (1) 
Size of particles of gold; (2) Shape of the particles, whether nuggety 
or flaky; (3) Presence of clay; (4) Will the gold amalgamate readily; 
(5) Amount of black sand; (6) Amount of platinum; (7) Hardness 
of gravel. 

Screens. — Two kinds of screens are used in California: the shaking 
and the revolving. The purpose is to disintegrate the gravel and 
clay in order to permit the fine material, the values and water to pass 
through the holes along the length of the screen to the gold-saving 
tables or sluices below, and convey all coarse material to the stackers, 
to be carried to the dump piles. As to screens, two main questions 
must be determined: ( a ) Whether to use a revolving or a shaking 
screen; ( b ) Size of holes in the screen. 

As to ( a ), the hardness of the gravel and the presence or absence 
of clay are the main determining features. If the gravel is a clean 
wash, comparatively free from clay, such as that at Oroville and Fol¬ 
som, the shaking screen is generally preferred to the revolving screen, 
mainly because the first cost and the cost of repairs are less. How¬ 
ever, there are cases, even in these districts, when some hard pieces of 
gravel are not disintegrated and the values lost. In case there is any 
clay present, it will adhere to the gravel or pieces of bedrock, especially 
if blocky, or will “ball up” and so carry off the gold. In a shaking 
screen, bowlders and larger pieces of bedrock will not be turned over 
so that the water jets will have free play. This is the case especially 
in such bedrock as most of that along the Yukon, which is often blocky, 
and carries much gold in clayey seams down to a depth of from one to 
six feet. Where the gravel is hard, it has little opportunity to disin¬ 
tegrate in the length of the shaking screen. A revolving screen with 
flanges and rods across the screen will turn the material over and over, 
subjecting all sides of it to the force of the water from the jets, and 
will afford a sort of milling process by which the bowlders and smaller 





ILL. No. 23. MARIGOLD DREDGING COMPANY’S DREDGE, RISDON TYPE. HULL BEFORE HOUSING. SHOW1NC 

REVOLVING SCREEN. 















ILL No. 24. GOLD-SAVING TABLES OF THE INDIANA DREDGE, OROVILLE. HUNGARIAN RIFFLES AND QUICKSILVER. 









38 


GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


stones are lifted up and thrown down on the lumps of gravel and 
clay. 

Under the favorable conditions existing in the Sacramento Valley 
districts, the shaking screen is preferred for the following reasons: 
(1) The effective screening surface is larger; (2) It is easier kept 
in repair, because the plates are small and conveniently replaced; 
(3) The gravel drops over a larger surface on the plates below, and 
so comes the better in contact with the quicksilver. Then the water 
from the jets playing down on the screen plays over a wider and 
thinner surface. 

In some cases, a combination of the revolving and shaking screens 
would be preferred. In this way two screenings could be had. 

The revolving screen varies in diameter from 3V 2 feet and in length 
lip to 24 feet. The shaking screen for a 5-foot bucket dredge is in 
some of the later dredges built in two parts—the first part 7 feet wide 
and 16 feet long, and the second or lower part, 1% feet wide and 
16 feet long. This enables, of course, a much larger sluicing-table 
space to be employed below the shaking screen. 

The size of the holes in the screens will be determined by the size 
of the largest particles of .gold. At Oroville and other districts in the 
Sacramento Valley, where all the gold is fine, five-sixteenths and 
three-eighths inch holes are generally used. Where there is both 
coarse and fine gold, it must be remembered that with the larger 
holes, coarse material will have to be sluiced, a greater depth of water 
will be required in the sluices, and there will be a consequent greater 
loss of fine gold. To obviate this, it is suggested that smaller holes 
be used in;, the upper part of the screen and larger holes in the lower 
part, and that the finer and coarser material be run into separate 

A 

sluices. It would not be necessary to have the larger holes in more 
than four feet, or even less, of the length of the screen. 



Sluices .UOn the dredges in the Sacramento Valley districts, such as 
Oroville, Yuba; and Folsom, the gold is saved on what are called 
gold-saving tables (see Ill. Nos. 24 and 25) and a sluice running 
out astern of the dredge where the tailings are dumped into the 
water. The area of these tables is for a 5-foot dredge with shaking 
screen about 750 square feet and for the sluices about 300 square feet, 
and somewhat less with revolving screens. This area is somewhat less 
for the smaller dredges and more for dredges of larger capacity. As 
it is, generally speaking, all the surface possible is made, and it is 
limited, of course, to the size of the boat. There can be no question 
but that much of the finer gold is lost. How much this may be has 
not been determined, for, no matter how careful the rocking and pan¬ 
ning of the drill samples, the finest gold is not saved. 






COCOA MATTING AND EXPANDED METAL RIFFLES. 







40 


GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


It may be said that if some of the finest gold saved at Oroville were 
shaken up in a bottle of clear water it will take two hours’ time to 
settle again. Therefore, neither panning, nor rocking, nor any of the 
present gold-saving devices can save all the gold. One of the best 
informed men at Oroville, who has been in the industry since the 
beginning, says that, with the improvements that may in time be made 
in the gold-saving appliances, it would be possible to save more gold 
in the dredges than could be shown by the most careful and exact 
sampling with pans and rockers. 

In most cases at Oroville and Folsom, the tailings are sampled in 
order to determine how much gold is being lost. But this sampling is 
of no value except to show that the sluice-boxes and tables save a 
large per cent of what could be found by panning or rocking. In 
other words, very little is found in the tailings, and in most cases 
practically none at all, by panning or rocking. 

The quantity of fine gold which goes off in the water should be 
determined by test, and if it amounts to as much as seems probable^ 
there should be devised a scheme, in connection with the sand pump, 
for an auxiliary saving appliance that would enable a larger propor¬ 
tion of the finest gold to settle. The amount of extra power that would 
be required and the cost of extra equipment need not be much. Of 
course, the larger the dredge, the greater the opportunity to save larger 
proportions of the gold now being lost. 

There are two classes of sluice and table paving used in the 
Sacramento Valley gravels to save the fine gold. One is ordinary Hun¬ 
garian or cross riffles with quicksilver, and the other cocoa matting 
covered with expanded metal, 2^-inch mesh. These are nearly 
equally satisfactory, so far as the managers report. However, in 
most cases each manager has used only one kind and made no compar¬ 
ison. Where comparison has been made, the preference seems to be 
in favor of the riffles with quicksilver. There is no arsenic or any¬ 
thing else present to prevent a rather free amalgamation. Yet there 
is present so much black sand which would prevent the gold from 
reaching the quicksilver that it is found necessary, in putting in the 
riffles, to insert between them stones that stand up above the tops 
of the riffles in order to stir up the black sand and allow the gold 
to go to the bottom. On the cocoa matting, the expanded metal, in 
diamond shape, about one-fourth inch deep, is placed for the same 
purpose. 

One of the most careful managers at Oroville states: “We 
originally used cocoa matting on our dredge, but later installed the 
riffles and quicksilver and increased our gold-saving area 85 square 
feet, by utilizing the space in the distributing box directly under the 


GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


41 


screen. We are going to use riffles and quicksilver in our new 
dredge.” 

Under the screens on the first tables quicksilver in large quantities 
held in place by riffles is used with a view to bringing the fine gold 
into contact as it drops from the screens. In this respect, shaking 
screens do better work than revolving screens, because they let the 
fine material down over a larger surface. 

Both at Oroville and Folsom, and even at Yuba, it has been found 
that gold—even the very finest gold—if brought in contact with the 
quicksilver will amalgamate without much difficulty. In Colorado 
and in Idaho, where there is fine gold, and dredging has been done 
on rather an extensive scale, it has been found impossible to make any 
consequential saving of gold with quicksilver, owing to the presence 
of arsenic or something else. The result is that cocoa matting or 
some similar appliance must be used. It would appear that where 
the very fine gold amalgamates freely, riffles and quicksilver are 
preferable to cocoa matting. 

As platinum does not amalgamate with quicksilver, there is a 
greater loss of this metal when riffles and quicksilver are used, than 
when cocoa matting and expanded iron mesh are used. 

CREW OF A DREDGE. 

The following table will give an idea of the number of men 
commonly required on dredges. The wages named are those usually 


paid at Oroville: 

Crew for One Dredge. Per Day. 

1 foreman, at $5.00 per day_ $5 00 — $5 00 

3 winchmen, at $3.00 to $3.50 per day- 9 00 — 10 50 

3 oilers, at $2.00 to $2.50 per day-- 6 00 — 7 50 

1 blacksmith, at $3.50 per day- 3 50 — 3 50 

1 helper, at $2.00 to $2.50 per day-- 2 00 — 2 50 

2 Chinamen, at $1.75 to $2.50 per day- 3 50 — 5 00 


Total______..$29 00 —$34 00 


In addition there is a superintendent, whose time is generally 
divided among several dredges. The winchmen and oilers work eight- 
hour shifts, while the blacksmith and helper work ten hours. The 
Chinamen clear the ground of brush and trees, “bury dead men,” 
as making fasteners for the lines is called, and do general chores. 

The depth to which the present dredges may dig is from 30 to 60 
feet below the water-level, the latter depth being reached by the 
new dredges on the Yuba. That greater depths may be reached is 
only a question of increased strength and power and longer digging 
ladders. These work at their best, it is claimed, on an angle of 
45 degrees. 










42 


GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


WORKING COSTS. 

A majority of the dredge companies in California have given 
statements as to the approximate actual cost of dredging per cubic 
yard, which will be found in the accompanying folder, and in tables 
following. These costs vary from 2.36 and 3 cents to as much as 8^/2 
cents. It will be seen that where a return of 3 cents or less is given, it 
is for a new dredge with all the advantages of the latest ideas as to 
strengthening the parts of the machinery, and that there have been 
no breakdowns and consequently very little, if any, costs for repairs. 
The labor bill has been very light, for the running time has been full. 
The owners of this dredge have stated that their costs will be mate¬ 
rially increased in working longer periods of time, through the loss in 
actual working time caused by breakdowns and the cost of new' parts 
and for repairs. 

So it is only those reports on dredges which have been in operation 
for a long time, say three or four years at least, that are of much value 
in determining what would be the average cost of working under sim¬ 
ilar conditions. However, one must remember that the lately built 
dredges are more strongly made and afford less opportunity for break¬ 
age and repair costs. The record for low cost is 2.36 cents per cubic 
yard with a new dredge, as will be noticed in the tables of cost given 
elsewhere in this bulletin. 

In studying these reports, one must consider in respect to the 
different districts: (1) The cost of power; (2) The rate of wages; 
(3) Whether the company reporting has one or several dredges under 
one management; (4) Whether the company has its own machine 
shop or not; (5) The hardness of the ground, and this particularly 
as to whether blasting with powder is necessary; (6) The size of the 
buckets; (7) Whether the buckets are alternating or close-connected; 
(8) Whether belt or bucket conveyor is used; (9) Whether revolving 
or shaking screens are used; (10) Whether a sand pump is used; 
(11) The age of the dredge. 

Only one company operating at Folsom returns cost of working, 
and that at 5 cents. At Folsom the cost for power is 0.65 of a cent 
per kilowatt hour, while at Oroville it is 1 y 2 cents. 

Some idea of the difference in cost per cubic yard between operating 
one dredge and operating several dredges under one management may 
be had from the estimate of the Oroville Gold Dredging and Explora¬ 
tion Company, and this comparison table, showing the estimated cost 
of one or three dredges, all under one management. (See tables.) 

Of course, under certain difficult conditions a dredge of small 
capacity may be preferable, but under most ordinary conditions, such 
as at Oroville, Folsom, and other places in the Sacramento Valley, 





i. 26. BUCYRUS TYPE OF DREDGE, WITH CLOSE CONNECTED BUCKETS, SHAKING SCREENS, BELT CONVEYOR, AND SPUDS. 























































44 


GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


the greater the yardage capacity of the dredges, the lower the cost of 
working. 

It may be said that the cost of repairs is still excessive, but this 
item of expense has been reduced from year to year since the first 
successful dredge was put in operation in 1898. It may be said, too, 
that if the dredge-builders had not increased the strength of the 
buckets, the quality of steel used, and in many other ways strength¬ 
ened all the straining and wearing parts of the dredges, it would now 
be impossible to build, as they propose doing at Folsom, a dredge with 
13 cu. ft. buckets, or even 7 cu. ft. buckets. A comparison of costs of 
a new dredge with those of an old dredge of the same size and type 
is therefore unfair. 

Whenever the Bucyrus type of dredge is mentioned, it is under¬ 
stood to have close-connected buckets, a shaking screen, belt conveyor, 
and riffles and quicksilver on the sluicing-tables; while the Risdon 
dredge has alternating buckets and links, a revolving screen, bucket 
conveyor and cocoa matting, with expanded metal mesh covering 
them on the sluices. It may be said, however, that the makers provide 
for the mine owners whatever style of any of these parts they may 
require. 

It is for the dredge-builders and for the skilled managers at 
Oroville or Folsom or elsewhere in the State to more seriously consider 
this question of cost of repairs than anything else, except, of course, 
the question of saving the present loss of fine gold, which is far 
greater than most of them suppose. 

The following tables (Nos. 1 to 8) are from the annual report of 
the Oroville Gold Dredging and Exploration Company of San Fran¬ 
cisco, for the calendar year 1903: 


TABLE No. 1 —BULLION TABLE. 


Month. 


January__ 

February. 

March___ 

April... 

May__ 

June ... 

July..... 

August_ 

September.. 

October__ 

November. ... 

December___ 

Totals and averages 


Cubic Yards 
(Bank Meas¬ 
urement) 
Dredged 

Operating 

Expenses. 

Cost 

per 

Cubic 

Yard. 

*31.000 

i—i 

^-1 

k—L 

-i 

Cents. 

5.52 

*30,130 

1,804 48 

5.98 

*30,570 

2,895 99 

9.47 

49,130 

2,684 32 

5.46 

35,900 

2,273 46 

6.33 

34,040 

2,667 87 

7.83 

40,100 

3,017 13 

7.52 

46,000 

3.884 83 

8.44 

46,790 

2,529 99 

5.34 

50,960 

2.574 56 

5.05 

39,420 

2,530 64 

6.42 

40.570 

2,208 91 

5.45 

474,610 

$30,784 95 

6.48 


to block 196. 




































ILL. No. 27. RISDON TYPE OF DREDGE, WITH OPEN-CONNECTED BUCKETS, REVOLVING SCREEN, BUCKET CONVEYOR, AND HEAD 

LINES. ELECTRIC DRIVEN. 
































































































































































TABLE No. 2—DETAILS OF OPERATING COSTS. 


46 





GOLD DREDGING IN 

CALIFORNIA 

• 






• 










1-0 

X 



Cost per 

HO 

I- X 

CC X x 

X 1- 

Cl 

CO 

Cl 

CO 

Ti* 


1- 

<3 

1- 

d 


—/- 

Cl 

X 

-r 

\ a 1 d . 


• . . 



oi 




* 

• 

• 

• 

* 

CC 















Per Cent 
of Total 


ci co c: 

—^ ct »c 

Cl 

X — 

1 O 

I- 

lO 

co 

X 

d 


T“H 

LO 

0.4 

0.1 


- 

100.0 



—t X Q 

Ol -fi 

X 

lO 

X 


X 

-r 

LO 

,, 

— 

X 

£ ! 

. 


LC CO 

—1 X 


»o 





Ol 



X 




X i- o 

X I— 

X 

cc 

X 


cc 

-t 

X 

l^ 

i—i 





—1 05 O 

X X 


o 

Ol 


■—H 

r—1 

CO 

Ol 

lip 

05 

X 

c 


XXX 

— X 

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Ol 


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X 





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1 

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1 

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c 


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1 


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Labor: 

> • c 
— O 

£ si a. 
a> o, o 

C.® r; 

Power: 

Dredge .. 
Pumps .. 

Hardware 
}>lies, to 
etc . 

Repair p 
etc. _ 

Freight am 
press _ 

Hauling ... 

Steel cable 

Lumber 

Electrical 
plies _ 

3 

i- 

b£ 

tc 

■~ 

Oi 

O 

1 

'A 

V 

OC & 

- c 

^ a> 

c3 3 
— > 

O 33 





































































































GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


47 


Table No. 2 does not include: 

Bullion expense..........04 

Taxes and insurance____38 

San Francisco general expenses_ ___ .17 

A total of 0.59 to be added to make up the total of the summary of 
costs in cents per cubic yard, in Table No. 4. 


TABLE No. 3—EXTRACTION TABLE. 


Month. 


January__ 

February _ 

March__ j 

April_ 

May... 

June_ 

July_ 

August_ 

September.. 

October.. 

November_ 

December.. 

Totals and averages 


e 

> 

3 w 

(tpO 

3 

"C 

c 


*o 

O 

<T> 

nPti p 
-7 = 2 q 

05 75 

P <T> 2 


3* 

C/2 

o 

c 

7 cd k! 

0-2 pi 
CL . . ^ 

«> 2 Kg 
Q.P o o 

c-o 

O <0 
<5 o 

a-£ 

: 

Character of Ground 
Dredged. 

<T> 

C 

crq 

a 

* 

wed 

I 3 * 

-1 

; 

: c -o 

| V « ^ 

Value 
ed_ 

1 c 

CTO 
' _.C 
! - * 


26.7 G. 

0.40 G. 

20,850 G. 

} • 

pr. ct. 
58 

Cents. 

5.52 

Soil and tight gravel 

14.7 S. 

0.43 S. 

10,150 S. 

containing clav. 

14.5 S. 

1.29 S. 

30,1308. 


_ 

5.98 

Soil. 

14.0 S. 
27.2 G. 

0.18S. 
0.59 G. 

4,400 S. 
26,170G. 

1 * 

71 

9.47 

Soil and loose gravel. 

28.6 

1.06 

49,130 

3 

70 

5.46 

Soil and loose gravel. 

28.5 

0.78 

35,900 

3 

70 

6.33 

Soil and loose gravel. 

30.5 

0.69 

34,040 

3 

94 

7.83 

Soil and loose gravel. 

36.8 

0.68 

40,100 

2 

77 

7.52 

Soil and loose gravel. 

34.4 

0.78 

46,000 

3 

65 

8.44 

Soil and loose gravel. 

30.0 

0.96 

46,790 

2 

43 

5.34 

Soil and loose gravel, 







worked by Chinese. 

30.7 

1.03 

50,960 

2 

173 

5.05 

Sand and fine gravel. 

28.1 

0.87 

39,420 

2 

105 

6.42 

Sand and fine gravel. 

26.7 

0.94 

40,570 

1 

124 

5.45 

Some Chinese tail- 







ings. 

30.4 

10.77 

474,610 

31 

74 

6.48 


















































GOLD 

DREDGING 

IN 

CALIFORNIA. 







00 

-r 

Ol 

X 

i- 

.28 

.04 

rH 


Total Expense 


H4 

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1 T 


per Cu 

Yd... 


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GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 



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TABLE No. 6—LOST TIME 


50 


GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA 


Average Amount 
Dredged per Day 
of 24 Hours.. 

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1,300 


Average Amount 
Dredged per Day 
of Running 
Time. 

cu. yds. 

1,257 

2,007 

1,514 

2,100 

1,900 

1,890 

2,114 

1,958 

2,053 

2,135 

1,752 

2,017 

1,875 


Total Dredging 
Time. 

per cent. 

77.7 

53.0 

05.1 

78.1 

01.0 

00.1 

03.0 

75.8 

70.0 

77.0 

75.7 

(59.9 

Tf 

© 1 


Total Lost Time... 

per cent. 

22.3 

40.4 

34.9 

21.9 

39.0 

39.9 

37.0 

24.2 

24.0 

23.0 

24.3 

30.7 

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Other Causes. 

per cent. 

32.3 

50.2 

10.4 

7.7 

0.0 

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4.2 

15.7 

5.0 

10.9 

11.0 

20.2 

29.0 

17.9 


Clean-ups__ 

percent. 

8.4 

0.0 

1.7 

2.7 

0.8 

7.1 

0.5 

11.7 

14.0 

10.3 

11.5 

5.2 



Lines. 

percent. 

21.0 

13.2 

4.9 

12.7 

3.0 

2.0 

3.0 

12.8 

11.0 

9.0 

12.8 

12.4 



Power. .. 

per cent. 

5.1 

0.5 

14.4 

8.0 

4.1 

.7 

33.0 

4.4 

7.7 

7.0 

1.5 

2.2 

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t- 


Pumps.. 

per cent. 

3.1 

9.1 

23.3 

0.0 

1.5 

0.0 

1.0 

2.3 

1.0 

13.7 

2.3 

7.8 

Tt- 

»o 


Screen__ 

per cent. 

1.0 

2.2 

17.0 

2.0 

.5 

0.2 

0.2 

9.0 

1.1 

2.0 

4.2 

1.8 

ID 


Winches. 

per cent. 
5.8 

5.0 

1.0 

.7 

0.0 

1.0 

0 2 

24.3 

13.0 

9.0 

10.0 

1.7 

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Stacker.. 

percent. 

15.0 

0.0 

1.0 

7.8 

1.0 

4.4 

5.0 

9.4 

19.7 

9.1 

18.1 

19.0 


Ladder and 
Bucket Line __ 

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Month. 

January „. ..... 

February_ _ _____ 

March _ _ _ 

April..... 

May .... ... . 

June __ _____ 

July--- 

August------- 

September..-- - 

October..... 

November.. . __ 

December_____ 

Averages ____-.-. 













































































GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


51 


TABLE No. 7—SUMMARY OF COST, 1903. 

(In cents per cubic yard.) 

One Dredge. Three Dredges. 


Dredge crew, power, and operating supplies_ 2.52 2.52 

Repairs—Labor__ 93 .48 

Supplies. 2.95 2.58 


Total operating costs_ 0.10 

Superintendence.............. .38 

General expense—Oroville.... 28 

San Francisco_ 17 

Taxes and insurance____._.._38 

Bullion expense.. .04 


5.58 

.16 

.09 

.06 

.24 

.04 


Grand total all costs 


7.35 


6.17 


The cost for the same dredge for 9V 2 months in 1904 (January 1 
to October 15) was: 


Amount dredged (bank measurement)__378,890 cu. yds. 

Cost per cubic yard— 

All labor.......2.82 cents 

Power_________ 1.01 cents 

All supplies...... 1.88 cents 


Total.... ..5.71 cents 


This does not include about 0.59 of a cent to be added for general 
expenses, which would bring the total up to 6.30 cents, as against 7.35 
cents for 1903. 

The above work was done with one 5 cu. ft. bucket, close-connected 
Risdon dredge, with revolving screen and bucket conveyor. It was 
the intention of the company to build two more dredges. However, 
one larger dredge is now being built, with the view of handling, with 
the two, 100,000 cubic yards per month, at a cost, as estimated, of 5.71 
cents per cubic yard, 



























52 


GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


Since the above was written a record has been made with the new 
Bucyrus dredge, “Biggs No. 2,” of the Oroville Gold Dredging and 
Exploration Company, which shows a cost considerably below any 
other similar work in the State, as far as known. In tabulated form 
the results are shown as follows: 


TABLE No. 8—RECORD OF NEW BUCYRUS DREDGE, BIGGS No. 2. 


For 31 Days, from 
February 26 to March 
30, 1905, inclusive. 

Possible dredging time___ 31 days 

Lost time_ ___ 119 hours 18 min. 

Average actual dredging time per day.. 20 hours 9 min. 

Total amount dredged (bank measurement)_102,630 cubic yards 

Amount dredged per day__ 3,310 cubic yards 

Operating costs per cubic yard— 

All labor _........ 1.16 cents 

Power_______ .39 cents 

All supplies____81 cents 

Other expenses_______ ... 


For 30 Days, from 
April 1 to April 30, 
1905, inclusive. 

30 days 

149 hours 55 min. 
19 hours 00 min. 
109,630 cubic yards 
3,654 cubic yards 

.82 cents 
.82 cents 
.37 cents 
1.34 cents 


Total 


2.36 cents 


3.35 cents 


As to the two following tables from Oroville companies, the general 
manager says: “We have not been running the Bucyrus machine a 
year’s time in ordinary diggings, and I am obliged to send you a 
record of our machine of the Bucyrus type which has been running in 
very extraordinary ground, and some of the heaviest digging in the 
Oroville district. This, of course, decreases the capacity of the machine 
and increases the cost of handling, but it is just as well to have some 
data from the harder places as to have all conditions favorable, espe¬ 
cially for general information that might lead to investment.” In this 
case the use of powder increased the cost. 

It will be noted that the Risdon dredge has open-connected buckets 
and a bucket conveyor, while the Bucyrus has close-connected buckets 
and a belt conveyor, 


























GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


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56 


GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


The following table of costs applies to a 3 y 2 cu. ft. close-connected 
bucket line dredge. For the first month the cost was increased by 
expense of organization and management prior to commencement of 
operations, the company proposing to place under the head of cost 
of operating all expenses (including insurance, taxes, and office) except 
the original cost of the ground and the dredge. In April, the high 
water caused a shutdown. An entire new 7 bucket line purchased and 
on hand, and a 40-horsepow r er motor to replace the first motor of 
30-liorsepow r er for the pump, considerably increased the cost. 

TABLE No. 11. 


1903 

Cubic Yds 
(Bank Meas 
urement) 
Dug 

Per Cent 
of Time 
Operated 

Cost per Cubic Yard. 

Labor. 

Power 

Repairs 

and 

Supplies 

General 

Expense. 

Total 

Expense. 



] 

cents 

cents. 

cents. 

cents 

cents. 

December. 

35 000 

68.78 

3.82 

2.21 

1.30 

3.98 

11.36 

January . 

37,000 

07.01 

3.06 

1.73 

2.76 

.23 

7.78 

February _ 

37 800 

80.16 

2.76 

1.99 

1.14 

.62 

6.51 

March .......... 

40 500 

05.88 

2.50 

1.81 

.38 

.28 

4.87 

April . ... 

24.080 

42 08 

3.92 

1.70 

4.14 

.35 

10.10 

May. 

33,572 

74.33 

3.22 

2.38 

3.70 

.16 

9.46 

June..... 

44,878 

87.76 

2.34 

1.75 

2.39 

.22 

6.68 

July.. 

35.520 

72.44 

3.15 

1.90 

2.80 

.18 

8.10 

August .. 

49.340 

84.80 

2.35 

1.31 

3.35 

.10 

7.11 

September . ... 

34.220 

88.99 

3.05 

1.90 

2.85 

.32 

8.12 

October____ 

30.000 

88.68 

2.97 

2.29 

2.07 

3.19 

10.52 

November_ 

38,000 

88.43 

2.70 

1.99 

4.33 

.26 

9.28 

December. 

38,500 

86.73 

2.85 

1.75 

.87 

.17 

5.63 

Average per mo. 

37,309 

77.11 

2.91 

1.89 

2.41 

0.75 

7.96 


The following table of loss of time is for the same dredge during 
the first tw T enty-two months of working from December 1, 1902. The 
figures are averages of hours lost per month: 


TABLE No. 12. 

Cause of Stoppage. 

Stepping ahead .... 

Ladder and bucket line.. 

Stacker ....... 

Winches.... .... 

Screen...... 

Water pump______ 

Sand pump ____ 

Lines....... 

Power.... .. 

Other causes ....... 

Clean-up_ ______ 

Total.... 


Hours. 

Per Cent. 

.. 11.29 

8.1 

.. 34.60 

24.9 

5.80 

4.1 

.. 2.90 

2.1 

- - 6.20 

4.5 

.. .56 

.4 

5.40 

3.9 

- 2.40 

1.7 

26.00 

18.7 

. . 36.20 

26.0 

... 7.80 

5.6 

.139.15 

100.0 


In addition there w 7 as lost some time while the power was off, and 
some through floods. The average amount of material handled for the 
twenty-two months was 39,900 cubic yards per month. The main 




























































GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


57 


saving in time was made by putting new castings in the bucket line 
early in 1904. 

The following figures of costs are for a new 3 cu. ft., close-connected 
bucket dredge, with shaking screen and belt conveyor, at Oroville. 
They show how costs increase as parts wear out. These expenses 
include office, secretary, and all expenses in full: 

TABLE No. 13. 



; 

December 1, 1902, to 
June 1,1903. 

June 1, 1903, to 

June 1, 1904. 

Material dug_ _ _ 

i 

227,868 cu. yds. ! 

437,441 cu. yds. 

Average per month_ 

37,978 cu. yds. 

36,454 cu. yds. 

Per cent of working time__ 

78% 

76% 


Total 

Cents per 

Total 

Cents per 


Expense. 

Cubic Yd. 

Expense. 

Cubic Yd. 

Payroll . ____ _ 

.$5,001 93 

i 

2.195 

1 

$10,421 86 

2.382 

Power____ _____ 

4,760 49 

2.089 

8,861 90 

2.026 

Dredge supplies__ __ 

772 18 

.340 

1,367 55 

.313 

Taxes and insurance_ . ... 

400 02 

.176 

1,297 15 

.297 

Sundry expenses_____ _ 

998 90 

.438 

1,920 57 

.439 

Maintenance and repairs..... 

1,166 43 

.512 

8,033 76 

1.836 

Total cost...... 

$13,099 95 

5.75 

$31,902 79 

7.293 


The following figures are from the report made to an Oroville 
company for the year 1903, of a dredge that began operations 
November, 1902. The bucket capacity is 5 cubic feet, close-connected, 
shaking screens and belt conveyor: 

TABLE No. 14. 

Working days in year.... 363 

Working hours in year...-.... 8.712 

Power was off—hours.....-.- . 389.66 

Possible working hours.-... 8,322.33 

Total hours machine was digging through year.... 5,710.58 

Percentage of total hours digging..... -. 65.5 

Percentage of possible hours digging------ 68.6 

Surface area worked out—acres . . .-.. 13.297 

Average depth of cut ... ..-. 24.55 

Cubic yards handled. .... ---—.-. 526,680 

Cubic yards handled per day.. .-.... 1,450.901) 

Cubic yards handled per digging day. -.-.... 92.228 

Cents per 

Cost of Dredging— Cubic Yd. 

For labor......-.-.----- 2.593 

For power.... .. 1.744 

For supplies ..-.-.-. *“*41 

For shop repairs and parts.... .. .. 2.360 

For freight .-.-.-... -182 

For general expense and boarding-house loss.... .142 

For clearing land... .. ..-.-. *456 


Total cost at dredge 


7.598 

































































58 


GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


Other Costs (Administration, Taxes, Insurance, etc.)— 

San Francisco office, management and traveling expenses... 

Treasurer's office expense_____ 

Taxes____ 

Insurance..____ _ 

Total administration, etc_ 

Add costs at dredge, as above...^..... 

Total costs, all included --- 


Total 

Expense. 

Cents per 
Cubic Yd. 

$4,229 66 

0.803 

87 99 

.017 

663 15 

.126 

529 75 

.100 

$5,510 55 

1.046 

40,033 14 

7.598 

$45,543 69 

8.644 


The following gives the cost from January 1 to September 30, 1904 
(nine months), of a 5 cu. ft. connected bucket Risdon dredge, with 
bucket conveyor, at Oroville. As the company operates five dredges, 
some of the costs are less than they would be for one dredge under one 
management: 


TABLE No. 15. 

Power_______ 

Labor operating_______ 

Supplies ___ 

Repairs______... 

Office____ 

Incidental_______ 

Teaming_____ 

Total number of hours run, 5,100. 

Total number of cubic yards dredged, 354,311. 


Total. 

Cents per 
Cubic Yd. 

i $3,116 35 

.8796 

. 5,016 04 

1.4157 

90 13 

.0254 

9,623 63 

2.7161 

. 1,036 47 

.2925 

874 31 

.2468 

276 56 

.0781 

$20,033 49 

5.6542 


The following table gives the cost of operating, for the first six 
months, Leggett No. 3—a new Risdon 5 cu. ft., open-connected bucket 
dredge, with revolving screen and bucket conveyor. 

This, of course, is the case of a new dredge, where the cost of repairs 
and replacing of parts lias been very light; it amounts to not more 
than one fourth of the repairs of a similar dredge worked by the 
Oroville Gold Dredging and Exploration Company—an older dredge, 
however, and probably not as strongly constructed as was this. 


TABLE No. 16. 

Total quantity of ground handled____..315,165 cu. yds. 

Average depth of ground_______ 30 feet. 

Cost of power, at 1| cents K. \V. hour ...________$4,241 97 

Cost of labor........ 4,250 00 

Cost of management_____ 900 00 

Cost of water---------- 450 00 

Cost of repairs........ 1,929 37 

Cost of supplies ........ 722 42 


Total cost-----$12,493 76 


Average running time per day, 20 hours 8 minutes. Sufficient lost time on account 
of lack of power to make a total of 21 hours per day. 

Average cost per cubic yard, 3.94 cents. 


The following figures are taken from Mr. L. J. Hohl’s paper, read 
before the California Miners’ Association. He states that they will 































GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


59 


give a lair representation of the extremes of cost per cubic yard at 
Oroville: 


TABLE No. 17. 


Power.-.... LOG 1.20 1.15 1.61 1.77 

Repairs. 2.86 3.03 3.46 2.97 3.80 

Labor------._ 1.64 1.32 1.85 2.33 2.05 

General expenses _ .64 .67 1.23 1.28 .73 

Total. 6.20 6.72 7.69 8.19 8.35 


In the following case, the running time, on the basis of 365 days 
in the year, was sixteen hours in the twenty-four. It will be observed 
that a large percentage of the loss was caused by floods in the Feather 
River. This, of course, is an extreme case. The figures are for a 
5 cu. ft. close-connected bucket dredge. The tumbler loss was owing 
to not having tumblers on hand: 


TABLE No. 18. 

Causes of Stoppage. 

Belting ........ 

Bucket line..______ 

Lines breaking, and changes_ 

Cleaning up___ 

Conveyor........ 

Elevating machinery..... 

Frictions and winches___ 

General repairs____ 

High water...... 

Holidays_________ 

Ladder and ladderdioist...... 

Lowertumbler---- 

Oiling... 

Power off.....-... 

Shaking screen.... 

Stones, roots and stumps... 

Upper tumbler..... 

Water pump......-. 


Per cent. 
.... 1.3 
.... 23.1 
.... 4.8 
.... 1.7 

..... 5.3 

_ 1.5 

..... 2.5 
.... 1.7 

.... 15.6 
... 1.8 
.... 1.3 
.... 8.3 

.... 3.8 
.... 4.5 
.... 4.5 
.... 0.7 
.... 16.2 
. 1.4 


Total 


100.0 


The following monthly averages are given as one year’s work on 
three Risdon dredges of different capacity, but all with alternate 
buckets, revolving screens, and bucket conveyors: 

TABLE No. 19. 


AverageTime Run 
per Month. 

Size of 
Buckets. 

Age of Dredge at 
End of Year. 

Cubic Yds. Dredged 
per Month. 

Cost per Cubic 
Yard, in Cents. 

575 hours. 

3 cu. ft. 

5 years. 

31,666 

5.86 

538 hours. 

5 cu. ft. 

3 years. 

4(5,032 

4.86 

558 hours. 

4 cu. ft. 

18 months. 

28,207 

8.69 


















































60 


GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


PROSPECTING AND EXAMINATION OF CONDITIONS. 

It may seem a simple tiling to say that a careful study of all the con¬ 
ditions should be made before a dredge is ordered, no matter how large 
the values in gold may be found to be. The values may in many cases 
be of almost minor importance, or of no importance, where, as is the 
case in some of the mountain districts, the hardness of the bedrock, 
with much of the gold on the bedrock, has prevented dredging very 
rich ground. There have been many failures in California, and all 
because proper examination of the ground was not made before the 
dredges were built. 

In Trinity County, in one case, a dredge was put in and failed and 
has been dismantled because the fact that the ground was valueless was 
not proved. There is another case where a dredge was built and 
operated for a time on very heavy ground, but it was so weak in con¬ 
struction that it failed and was dismantled. Now another company is 
building a dredge to work the same ground, with every promise of 
success. There are similar wrecks in the Oroville sea caused by incom¬ 
petent pilots. 

It has been said in regard to sampling, that which will apply 
to any other part of the examination of a dredging property: “Hap¬ 
hazard and occasional sampling and assaying are worse than useless. 
They lead to great losses of valuable capital, frequently to the total 
abandonment of good properties, and, worse than all, to a false sense 
of satisfaction that discourages improvement by denying its necessity.’* 

Conditions to be Considered.— The following are some of the condi¬ 
tions, etc., to be determined by drilling and other examination prior 
to determining whether the ground may be dredged, prior to estimating 
costs, and prior also to determining the kind of dredge to be used: 


Value in gold per cubic yard, and its dis¬ 
tribution. 

Hardness of gravel. 

Total depth of gravel to bedrock. 

Depth of gravel from water level to bedrock. 
Whether level or rough on surface. 

Size of bowlders. 

Amount of clay in gravel. 

Hardness of bedrock. 


Whether bedrock is level or not. 
Water—amount of supply, and cost. 
Cost of power. 

Wages. 

Cost of transportation. 

Cost of supplies. 

Cost of repairs. 

Cost of land. 

Climatic conditions. 


Hardness of Gravel. — Generally speaking, any gravel that may be 
picked may be dug with the dredge, without the use of powder. If it 
is so hard as to require blasting, the cost per cubic yard will be 
increased from 2 to 3 cents. 


Depth of Gravel.— The most satisfactory depth to dredge with some 
of the newer dredges now in use is not to exceed 60 feet, but they will 


GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


61 


work down to 70 feet. In order to work to a greater depth than 70 
feet, some changes in the digger, stacker, and power would be required. 

Level Surface of Gravel. —With an uneven surface the use of head¬ 
lines is not so satisfactory as spuds. 

Size of Bowlders. —Very large bowlders can not be handled with the 
ordinary dredge, and much gravel may be left on the ground. The 
size of the bowlders must be considered also in deciding whether to 
use an open or close connection of buckets in the digger, the latter 
rendering it impossible to handle the larger bowlders. 

Chmahc Conditions. —Of course, freezing weather will prevent wash¬ 
ing the gravel, and cause a stoppage of work. In the northern latitudes 
of Montana and Alaska, the season is commonly not more than five 
months long. 

Clay in Gravel. —The clay will not permit of clean dumping from the 
buckets, and not only is much gold carried back to the bottom and lost, 
but the yardage capacity of the dredge is decreased. Besides this, the 
clay carries off gold and fine amalgam from the sluice-boxes. 

Hardness of Bedrock.— If the bedrock is too hard to dig, gold in 
the crevices or lying near the bedrock is lost. The drill will locate 
the position of the pay which may not be too close to the bedrock. 

Level Bedrock.— The bedrock should be near enough level to permit 
the boats to float over all the ground to be worked. 

Presence of Arsenic. —The presence of arsenic or anything else that 
will prevent free amalgamation makes the use of quicksilver and 
riffles of little avail, and cocoa matting, plush, or other such means 
must be adopted to save the gold, especially where it is in fine 
particles. 

Drilling.— Nearly all this work in the Sacramento Valley districts 
of California has been done with Keystone drills, No. 3 traction. 
Owing to the presence of water in the gravel in most instances, it 
has been found impracticable to sink shafts. The cost of the drill, 
including freight, etc., is about $1,900 complete. Three men are 
required to work it, with wages from $3.50 to $4.00, and $2.50 and 
$2.00 per day. To this must be added the cost of fuel, water, repairs, 
etc., and wages of one or two men to do the sampling. The sampling, 
if properly done, would require a skilled man, and his pay might add 
much to the cost. The total cost per day to run the drill and do the 
sampling varies from $15 to $30. About 12 or 15 feet per day is a 
good average speed for sinking in the gravels of the Sacramento River 
basin. With larger bowlders and harder ground the cost might be 
materially increased. 



ILL. No. 29. KEYSTONE DRILL AT WORK AT OROVILLE TO PROSPECT FOR THE 
VALUES, AND DETERMINE CHARACTER OF THE GRAVEL. 

( 62 ) 













GOLD DREDGING IN CAL1EORNJA. 


63 


In comparatively shallow ground, where there is not much water, 
it is much more economical to sink shafts than to drill, and the results 
will be found more satisfactory. 

By proper sampling is meant the determination, from a compara¬ 
tively small sample, of the values in a much larger volume of the same 
material. Care, judgment, and experience are necessary, and all such 
work, whether done by drilling or by sinking shafts, should be put 
in charge of an experienced man. Gravel lifted by drills or taken from 
a shaft must be accurately measured or weighed, and proper allowances 
made for expansion when loosened. Allowance must be made for 
excess of bowlders not sampled, and for excess of gravel beyond the 
normal width of the drills that may come in and be lifted. 

Prospecting .—There is no rule as to the number of holes that should 
be sunk. More drill holes would be required, to give satisfactory 
results, than shafts. If the values are comparatively evenly distrib¬ 
uted over the tract to be examined, fewer holes would enable nearer 
approach to a correct estimate of values than where the pay is uneven. 
In districts where the character and values are comparatively well 
known in parts of the gravel that have been sampled, less careful 
examination is necessary on intervening tracts in order to determine 
most of the conditions and even the values. 

Errors in Sampling frequently occur from the squeezing in of 
material around the bottom of the casing, so that more gravel than 
is called for by the size of the hole is lifted. A check on this is to 
drill and pump in a section of a foot or so and weigh the material. 
Sliming and consequent loss of gold sometimes result when too long 
a period of churning transpires before pumping the hole. 

The casing should be kept driven below the point of drilling, when¬ 
ever possible. 

Fine Gold .—When the gold is as fine as at Oroville or Folsom, the 
pan and rocker will not save all of it, but will save all that 
the best saving tables in the dredges will save, and may save consid¬ 
erably more. But when it is considered that if some of the finest gold 
now being saved be shaken up in a bottle of clear water it will take 
one or two hours to settle, there can be no question that some is lost 
whether the sampling is done by panning or rocking, and also in the 
sluicing. How much this is could be determined by gathering 
samples, especially of the water from the pans and rockers and also 
at the ends of the sluices and subjecting them to proper tests. It would 
seem that this work should be undertaken and carefully carried out by 
the dredge people. If much gold is being lost, there is a spur to 
ingenuity in devising means for saving it. 


64 


GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


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F/ne Grave/ 
8 -/ 0 ' 


Coarse 

Gravef 

'0-29’ 


Sane/ 29-3/' 
Bedrock 


it<?QOO 

cioo 


VVoter 


Leve/} 

| 

Pay 

/3-22‘ 


QS><? 

~OF/0 

0 8 g 0 

<£og 

OQqO 

Q a n<3 Q 


o o C£.o 


6b/7 O 1 *' 

/v/?e Grave/ 

+ ' 3 , 
Sana/ 3 -/ 0 ' 


Coarse 

Grave/ 

/o'- 20 ' 

C.G<3c C/ay 

Z0-Z2' 7 

F/ne Grave/ 
22-27 ' 

Bedrock 


JV°4. 

So// 



m 

000 

Vfg 

goo 

op 

pp 

<tho 

00 £?C» 

Xooo 0 
9o o^o 
Oo <3(3 


Pay 

25-32 



C7rg 


Pay 

39-32 


OOt?^ 

ff s 

%2>o* 


8|g 

SaS 


o-<? 


Coarse 
Grave/ 2 '- 2 /" 


{ 


Water 
Leve/ /7 s 


F/ne Grave/ 

2/-24 

Coarse 
Grave/ 24 - 37 ' 


F/ne Grove/ 

37-43' 

Coarse 
Grave/ 45-32' 

Bedrock 


ILL. No. 30. TYPICAL VERTICAL SECTIONS OF BORINGS IN FOUR DIFFERENT CALI¬ 
FORNIA FIELDS. 














































GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


65 


The following: tables show the form in which notes of the sampling 
have been kept in making an examination at Folsom: 

Column marked “a” indicates colors of fine and flour gold, smaller than “b" size. 
Column marked “b” indicates colors of size estimated 25 to 1 cent. 

Column marked “c” indicates colors coarser and heavier than “b” size. 


April 11, 1904—Hole No. 1. 


No. of 

Material. 

No. of Colors 

Remarks. 

Feet 

“a” 

“b” 

“e” 

0 

1 

2 

3 

Surface line. 

Sand and gravel. 

2 

0 

0 

1 pan. 

4 

5 

0 

Loose gravel. 

0 

6 

0 

Hole 4| ft. 6 f. m. 

April 12, 7:30, started 2 pans. 

7 

8 

9 

Loose gravel. 

•30 

8 

2 

5 pans. 

10 

11 

12 

Loose gravel. 

15 

4 

0 

Rockered. 

13 

14 

Bedrock. 

10 

0 

0 

No water, rockered. 

Total __ 

63 

18 

2 







General Remarks: Drilled 14 feet in the clay, being a volcanic ash , first few feet a light 
brown color, then whitish, down as far as we drilled. This clay is called “bedrock.” 

Diameter of drill, 5§ inches; diameter of shoe, 7 inches; casing. 5f inches, inside 
diameter. 




5—GD 































































66 


GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


April 15, 1904—Hole No. 4. 


No. of 

Material. 

No. of Colors. 

Remarks. 

Feel. 

“a” 

“b” 

I‘q>> 

0 

1 

2 

3 

Surface. 

Sand. 

Sandy gravel. 

(j 

1 

0 


4 

5 

0 

Sandy gravel. 

10 

0 

0 


7 

8 

9 

Sandy gravel. 

10 

1 

1 


10 

11 

12 

Gravel. 

5 

o 

0 

(Noon) Waterline, 12 ft. 

13 

14 

15 

Sand and gravel. 

15 

5 

1 


10 

17 

18 

Coarse sand and gravel. 

10 

3 

0 


19 

20 

21 

Fine mica. 

Sand. 

Gravel—yellow. 

10 

5 

1 

% 

22 

23 

24 

Gravel—compact. 

15 

5 

2 

0 r. m. —April 10th. 

25 

20 

27 

Gravel—compact. 

15 

4 

0 


28 

29 

30 

Gravel—compact. 

75 

120 

10 


31 

32 

33 

Gravel—compact. 

Bedrock. 

75 

120 

0 


Total _ 

240 

200 

21 






General Remarks: Cubic feet of hole, 8.82. Weight of gold, 2.85 grains; value of gold, 
11.4 cents. Value per cubic yard, 34.85 cents. 













































































GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


67 


April 22, 1904—Hole No. 7. 


No. of 
Feet. 

Material. 

No. of Colors. 

Remarks. 

“a” 

“b” 


0 

1 

9 

3 

Surface. 

Fine sand. 


0 

0 

“a” showed a little flour gold 

4 

5 

6 

Sand and gravel. 

8 

1 

0 


- 

' I 

8 ! Sand and gravel. 

9 j 

10 

0 

0 

Not rockered out. 

6 P. M. 

10 

11 

12 

Gravel. 

8 

1 

0 


13 

14 

15 

Gravel and sand. 

15 


1 

Water line, 14 feet. 

16 

17 

18 

Gravel and sand. 

15 

1 

1 


19 

20 

21 

Gravel and sand. 

15 

4 

0 


22 

23 

24 

Small gravel and gray 
sand—soft. 

25 

2 

1 


25 

26 

27 

Sand and gravel. 

50 

5 

2 


28 

29 

30 

Compact gravel. 
Cobbles. 

50 

3 

0 


31 

32 

33 

Coarse sand and small 
gravel. 

15 

10 

3 

6 p. m., Sunday, April 24th. 

34 

35 

36 

Brown gravel, yellowish 
brown water. 
Bedrock. 

10 

1 

0 


Total _ 

221 

29 

8 



General Remarks: Cubic feet of hole, 9.62. Weight of gold, .95 grains; value of gold, 
3.8 cents. Value per cubic yard, 10 cents. 

Per actual measurement we took out of hole No. 7, 6.703 cubic feet. By using pipe 
factor for 7-inch hole we figure, or estimate. 9.62 cubic feet, making a difference of 2.917 
cubic feet in our favor. The actual dirt taken out is for a pipe 5g inches in diameter 
and 7-inch shoe. 












































































































t 


I 

68 GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


DREDGE-MINING DISTRICTS OF CALIFORNIA. 


OROVILLE DISTRICT. 

In this district was made the second discovery of gold in California— 
about two months after Marshall made his discovery at Sutter’s mill 
in January, 1848. In March, General John Bidwell, while encamped 



ILL. No. 31. GENERAL VIEW OF THE OROVILLE DREDGING DISTRICT. 

on Feather River, at Hamilton Bend, a few miles below the present 
town of Oroville, on his way to his ranch from Sutter’s Fort, heard of 
Marshall’s discovery. He decided to prospect, and soon found that 
gold existed. In May of that year the first camp was started at Morris 
ravine. At first the mining was done above Oroville in the creeks and 
on bars in the rivers in the mountains, but by 1856 there were many 
hundreds of white men working in the present dredging field. The 
richer spots, some at considerable distance from the river, were worked, 
but the places of these white men were soon taken by Chinese, who 
swarmed over the flat ground. It is estimated that by the later 
seventies there were over 7,000 Chinese working, almost entirely with 








GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


69 

















manual labor, in these grounds. 
Although little work was done 
below the water level, which 
was always a number of feet 
above bedrock, large sums of 
gold were produced. One of 
the present dredge companies 
says that in working over some 
ground that had previously 
been exploited by the whites or 
Chinese in earlier days, they 
recovered not over half the 
values recovered from adjoin¬ 
ing ground. Much of the 
ground in this district wqs 
worked by whites and again by 
the Chinese, and now is being 
worked for the third time with 
dredges. 

The yardage handled by the 
larger dredges with ten men is 
as much as would require 500 
men or more by the old 
methods. 

There are seventeen com¬ 
panies in the Oroville district, 
operating 28 dredges. Of 
these, 27 are of the continuous 
bucket type, and one of the 
shovel type. The total amount 
of holdings of these companies 
is 5,343 acres. In addition, 
there are about 2,000 acres held 
by individuals which have been 
proved good dredging ground 
and will probably be mined. 
Besides this, there is considera¬ 
ble ground of lower grade that 
may pay to dredge as the costs 
of working shall be reduced. 
Most of this is farther down 
the Feather River beyond the 
present fields, but of similar 



/ 


ILL. No. 32. GENERAL VIEW OF THE OROVILLE DREDGING GROUND ON FEATHER RIVER—LOOKING NORTH. 








70 


GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


material. The total cost of building the 28 dredges was about $1,550,- 
000. In addition, machine shops, drills, offices, etc., would make the 
total outlay for equipment up to the present time nearly $2,000,000. 

The gold yield from the 25 dredges operating in this district in 1903 
was $1,329,998, according to the United States Mint reports. 

Prospecting .—Practically all the prospecting of these gravels was 
done with drills, there being too much water in the ground to permit 
the sinking of shafts. 

Values .—The gold is comparatively evenly distributed in this dis¬ 
trict, and the best informed make a minimum estimate of the average 
values for the whole 7,500 acres of 17 cents per cubic yard. Taking the 
depth of the gravel at 10 yards, this would make the probable yield a 
little over $60,000,000. 

Gravel .—The depth of the gravel varies from 26 to 42 feet, and 
will average 30 feet. It is comparatively loose, a clean wash, prac¬ 
tically free from clay, and contains practically no bowlders large 
enough to interfere with digging. In the present river channel and 
adjacent ground there is no need to blast the banks, but in some of 
the higher ground it has been found advisable to use powder. 

Bedrock .—The false bedrock to which the gravel is dredged is com¬ 
paratively flat and quite soft, being merely a bed of volcanic tuff 
carrying other gravels, and may be dredged to sufficient depth to take 
up all that bears gold. 

Power .—Electric power is used in all cases, at a cost of iy 2 cents 
per kilowatt hour. 

Water.—An excellent ditch system supplies water in all parts of 
the district. The cost averages about $125 per month. 

Labor. —Good, experienced labor is easily obtained, the daily wages 
being usually, for foremen, $5; winchmen, $3 and $3.50; other laborers, 
generally $2.50. Some Chinese are employed, at $1.75, to do general 
work. 

Transportation, Supplies, etc .—Rail facilities are convenient, the 
source of supplies not distant, and there are well-equipped shops 
for repairs. 

Gold .—The gold is comparatively fine, there being no nuggets, and 
20 per cent of it will pass through a 150-mesh screen. However, it 
easily amalgamates. The value is about $18.50 per ounce. 

Ideal Conditions. — Taking all things into consideration, the con¬ 
ditions are almost perfectly ideal for successful dredging. 

Area Worked .—There has been dredged since March 1, 1886, when 
the first dredge began work, 605 acres. 


GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


71 


COMPANIES OPERATING. 

Feather River Exploration Company , John J. Hamlyn, manager, 
Oroville. In Secs. 24 and 25, T. 19 N., R. 3 E. Area of holdings, 850 
acres. This company installed the first successful dredge ever oper¬ 
ated in California, designed by R. H. Postlethwaite, and built by the 
Risdon Iron Works. Work was begun March 1, 1898. Prior to that, 
extensive work had been done in prospecting and examining the prop¬ 
erty. The first dredge was of 3 cu. ft. bucket capacity, and the com¬ 
pany has since constructed four 5 cu. ft. bucket dredges of the Risdon 



ILL. No. 33. DREDGE OF THE FEATHER RIVER EXPLORATION COMPANY, OROVILLE. 

RISDON TYPE. 


type. The capacity of these latter is 40,000 cubic yards per month, 
each dredge consuming 63 horse-power. Revolving screen and cocoa 
matting and expanded metal screens are used. It is important to note 
that this company makes returns, for about five years’ work with these 
dredges, of a cost of 6 cents per cubic yard. In this connection it 
should be considered that there are no less than five dredges under one 
management, and that the ground in which they are working is not 
as hard as is some of the Oroville gravel. The extent of ground worked 
is 150 acres. The company contemplates building additional dredges. 
(See Ill. No. 33.) 















ILL. No. 34. FRONT END OF A DIPPER DREDGE. 



ILL. No. 35. STACKER END OF DREDGE, SHOWING HEIGHT OF TAILINGS PILE. LAVA 

BEDS DREDGING COMPANY, OROVILLE. 







GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


<70 

l o 


Lava Beds Dredging Company, J. W. Goodwin, president, San Fran¬ 
cisco. In Secs. 19 and 30. T. 19 N., R. 3 E. Area of holdings, 700 
acres. This company began work in 1900, and has two dredges at 
work, of 5 cu. ft. bucket capacity, Bucyrus type. The extent of ground 
worked is 25 acres. The company returns as the average approximate 
cost of dredging, 8 cents per cubic yard. (See Ill. No. 35.) 

Oroville Gold Dredging Company, F. S. Mayhew, secretary, San 
Francisco. In Sec. 25, T. 19 N., R. 3 E. Area of holdings, 66 acres. 
This company operates one dredge of the Marion steam shovel type, 
which has been working since February, 1901, and which has dug 
since then 20 acres of ground. The cost of the plant is $45,000. The 
digging capacity of this dredge is returned by the owners as being 
from 18,000 to 24,000 cubic yards per month. It is valuable to note 
in this case that the horse-power consumed is only 40. The owners 
make no returns as to the cost of dredging per cubic yard, but claim 
very satisfactory results. (See Ill. No. 36.) 

Central Gold Dredging Company, F. S. Mayhew, secretary and 
manager, San Francisco. In T. 19 N., R. 4 E. Area of holdings, 
150 acres. Began operations in May, 1904. This company operates 
one Bucyrus type machine, with capacity of 40,000 cubic yards per 
month. The bucket capacity is 3 cubic feet. The gravel is 30 feet 
in depth. The details of the machine are shown in table of dredge 
data accompanying this bulletin. 

Indiana Gold Dredging and Mining Company, O. C. Perry, man¬ 
ager, Oroville. In Secs. 13 and 18, T. 19 N., R. 4 E. Area of holdings, 
175 acres. This company began operations July 1, 1901, and has 
two dredges at work, each of 3 cu. ft. bucket capacity, of the Bucyrus 
type, built at a cost of $50,000 each. The horse-power consumed on 
these dredges is 100. The actual average digging capacity of these 
dredges is returned at 42,000 cubic yards per month. Forty acres 
of ground has been worked. The owners return the cost of working 
at 7% cents per cubic yard. (See Ill. Nos. 37 and 38.) 

Kia Ora Gold Dredging Company , R. H. Postlethwaite, president, 
San Francisco. In Sec. 3, T. 19 N., R. 3 E. Area of holdings, 153 
acres. This company began work in May, 1899, and has dredged 40 
acres with one dredge, of 3y 2 cu. ft. bucket capacity, of the Risdon 
type. The gravel is of an average depth of 28 feet, which is consid¬ 
erably less than the average of the district. This company returns as 
the cost of working 4 cents per cubic yard, and gives the capacity of 
the dredge at 31,800 cubic yards per month. (See Ill. No. 39.) 



ILL. No. 36. OROVILLE GOLD DREDGING COMPANY’S DREDGE. OROVILLE. MARION STEAM SHOVEL TYPE. 
















ILL. No. 37. INDIANA GOLD DREDGING AND MINING COMPANY’S DREDGES, NOS. 1 AND 2 BUCYRUS TYPE. 























ILL. No. 39 KIA ORA DREDGK, KIA ORA DREDGING COMPANY. OROVILLE. RISDON TYPE. 












78 


GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


Cherokee Gold Dredging Company, L. J. Hohl, manager, Oroville. 
In Sec. 3, T. 18 N., R. 3 E. Area of holdings, 200 acres. This 
company began operations in October, 1902, with a Bucyrus dredge 
of 5 cu. ft. bucket capacity, and has worked 16 acres of ground. The 
cost of equipment, including a machine shop and a pumping station, 
was $80,000. The company contemplates building another dredge. 
The horse-power consumed on the dredge is 120, and the company 
makes return of cost of working at 7 cents per cubic yard. (See Ill. 
No. 40.) 

Pennsylvania Dredging Company, Sam W. Cheyney, manager, San 
Francisco. In Sec. 25, T. 19 N., R. 3 E. Area of holdings, 152 acres. 
This company began operations in October, 1902, and has worked 25 
acres. Its dredge was built by the Golden State and Miners 7 Iron 
Works of San Francisco, with buckets of 5 cu. ft. capacity. The aver¬ 
age horse-power consumed is 140. The cost of the dredge was $70,000. 
The average number of cubic yards dug per month during the year 
1903 was 43,830. The cost of dredging is returned at 8 1 /? cents per 
cubic yard. This dredge has a different system of screening from 
the others in the district, in that there are two screens used, one above 
the other, of the shaking screen type. In the upper screen the holes 
are iy 2 inches in diameter, and in the lower screen 14 inch in 
diameter. (See Ill. Nos. 41 and 42.) 

Butte Gold Dredging Company, B. Noyes, secretary, San Francisco. 
In Sec. 7, T. 19 N., R. 4 E. Area of holdings, 85 acres. This com¬ 
pany began operations November 26, 1902, and has worked 15 acres 
with one Bucyrus dredge, of 3V-> cu. ft. bucket capacity. The cost of 
the dredge was $50,000. The horse-power consumed is about 80. The 
actual average digging capacity of the dredge for the first thirteen 
months of its operation was 47,640 cubic yards per month. The owners 
return the average cost of the digging and all other expenses at 7 cents 
per cubic yard. 

American Gold Dredging Company, F. S. Mayhew, secretary, San 
Francisco. Area of holdings, 275 acres. The company began opera¬ 
tions in November, 1902, with a 3 cu. ft. Bucyrus dredge, and has since 
built a 5 cu. ft. bucket dredge of the same type. The digging capacity 
of the 3 cu. ft. dredge is returned at 45 cubic yards per minute. The 
return of the actual average dug by the 5 cu. ft. bucket is 90,000 
cubic yards per month for the first six months, and the cost of digging 
during that period, including all expenses, such as office, management, 
etc., is placed at 3 cents per cubic yard. These figures are, of course, 
unusual both as to the yardage and as to the cost per cubic yard. The 



ILL No. 40. CHEROKEE DREDGE, OROVILLE. BUOYRU8 TYPE 

















80 


GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


company was reluctant to give out these figures unless it would be 
stated that during the six months’ running there were no breakdowns, 
and consequently no cost for repairs; also, that there was so little loss 
of time that this large yardage was made possible. The cost of the 
5 cu. ft. dredge was $70,000, and the average of the horse-power con¬ 
sumed, 100. 

El Oro Dredging Company, B. Noyes, secretary, San Francisco. In 
Secs. 17 and 20, T. 19 N., R. 4 E. Area of holdings, 220 acres. This 
company began operations in December, 1903, and has worked five 
acres. Its dredge was built by the Link Belt Machinery Company, of 



ILL. No. 41. PENNSYLVANIA GOLD DREDGING COMPANY. 


Chicago, with buckets of 5 cu. ft. capacity, close connected. They 
claim an average capacity of 75,000 cubic yards per month. In respect 
to screens, sluicing table, and stacker, it is similar to the Bucvrus type. 
The company proposes to build another dredge. (See Ill. No. 43.) 


James H. Leggett, Oroville. In Sec. 18, T. 19 N., R. 4 E. Area of 
holdings, 70 acres. Mr. Leggett began operations March 31, 1904, with 
a Risdon dredge of 5 cu. ft. bucket capacity. He returns the average 
digging capacity as 45,000 cubic yards per month. The horse-power is 
placed at 100, and the approximate average cost of dredging per cubic 
yard at 5 cents. Five acres have been worked. (See Ill. No. 10.) 































82 


GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


Viloro Syndicate, Limited, J. W. Pew, secretary, San Francisco. 
In Secs. 19 and 30, T. 19 N., R. 4 E. Area of holdings, 200 acres. 
This company began operations November 1, 1904, with one dredge of 
the Bucyrus type, 5 cu. ft. bucket capacity. As they have only lately 
begun work, no returns as to capacity are available. (See Ill. No. 44.) 

Orovillc Gold Dredging and Exploration Company. C. H. Munro, 
manager, Oroville. In Secs. 24 and 25, T. 19 N., R. 4 E. Area of hold¬ 
ings, 600 acres. This company began operations in April, 1902, with 
a Risdon dredge of 4 cu. ft. bucket capacity, and in 1905 also started 



ILL. No. 43. EL ORO DREDGING COMPANY’S DREDGE, OROVILLE. LINK DREDGE 

MACHINE COMPANY’S TYPE. 


working a new Bucyrus dredge (Biggs No. 2) with 5 cu. ft. buckets. 
This latter dredge has a record of 109,630 cubic yards dug for thirty 
days from April 1st to April 30th inclusive. Details of the work and 
its cost are given elsewhere in this Bulletin, as are details of sizes, etc., 
of both dredges. The very full tables of costs of operations were pre¬ 
pared by Mr. Munro. (See Ill. No. 11.) 

Bostoji and Oroville Mining Company, William P. Hammon, man¬ 
ager, Oroville. In Secs. 13, 23, and 24, T. 19 N., R, 3 E., and Secs. 
17 and 18, T. 19 N., R. 4 E. Area of holdings, 650 acres. This com¬ 
pany began operations in July, 1901, and has worked 100 acres of 








GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


83 


ground. Three dredges are operating, two of the Risdon and one of the 
Bucyrus type, each of 5 cu. ft. bucket capacity. The cost of equip¬ 
ment was $175,000. Revolving screens are used in the Risdon dredges, 
and shaking screens in the Bucyrus. However, in all these dredges 
Hungarian riffles and quicksilver are used in preference to cocoa mat¬ 
ting and expanded metal. It will be seen that this is also true of the 
dredges owned by the Boston and California Dredging Company and 
indicates the preference in the district for riffles and quicksilver over 
the cocoa matting, and a belief that where there is no arsenic or other 
material to prevent the free amalgamation, the riffles and quicksilver 



ILL. No 44. VILORO DREDGE, OROVILLE FIELD LATEST TYPE OF BUCYRUS DREDGE. 

will save more of the fine gold than will the matting. The company 
proposes to build additional dredges. (See Ill. Nos. 45 and 46.) 

Boston and California Dredging Company, 'William P. TIammon, 
manager, Oroville. In Secs. 18 and 19, T. 19 N., R. 4 E. Area of 
holdings, 300 acres. Operations were commenced in March, 1902, and 
about 60 acres of ground have been worked. The company is operating 
three dredges, all of different types—one being a Risdon, with open-con¬ 
nected buckets and a bucket conveyor; one a Bucyrus dredge, with close- 
connected buckets and belt conveyor, and the third a Marion Steam 
Shovel Company dredge, with continuous chain buckets, similar to 











ILL. No. 4f). BOSTON AND OROVILLE DREDGING COMPANY’S DREDGE, OROVILLE. RISDON TYPE 

















ILL. No. 40. BOSTON AND OROV1LLE COMPANY'S DREDGE, “CONTINENTAL.” BUCYRUS TYPE, AS REMODELED. 


































86 


GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


those on the others, close connected. The management’s returns of the 
digging capacity of these dredges are: for the Risdon, 45,000 cubic 
yards; for the Bucyrus, 60,000 cubic yards; and for the Marion, 
90,000 cubic yards per month. It may be stated here that if it were 
not that the dredges were built in the order named, so that the last built 
had advantages over the others in stronger construction, there would 
not be so much difference in the yardage handled. Then, again, it 
may be said in favor of the Risdon dredge that the horse-power is less. 
However, it may be said in regard to the Marion that the company 
claims that the construction of the screen enables the washing of larger 



ILL. No 47. “CALIFORNIA No. 3,” BOSTON AND CALIFORNIA DREDGING COMPANY, 
OROVILLE. BUILT BY MARION STEAM SHOVEL COMPANY. 

quantities of gravel than do the other screens, and in this way permits 
a larger amount of gravel to be handled. A number of the managers 
at Oroville have stated that the sluicing capacity or the gold-saving 
capacity of the dredges was not sufficient to handle all the gravel that 
might possibly be raised. The screen on the Marion dredge is of the 
revolving type, somewhat conical in shape, growing smaller with 
offsets toward its outlet. These offsets, together with crossbars, retard 
the progress of the gravel sufficiently to insure perfect washing. How¬ 
ever, the washing capacity, it is claimed, was increased fifty per cent. 
(See Ill. No. 47.) 






ILL. No. 48, 


MARIGOLD No. 1’ 


OF THE MARIGOLD DREDGING COMPANY, NEAR 
OROVILLE. 



ILL. No. 49. 


FRONT VIEW OF MARIGOLD 


COMPANY’S DREDGE AT OROVILLE. 













88 


GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


Marigold Dredging Company , J. W. Goodwin, president, San 
Francisco. In Secs. 30 and 31, T. 19 X., R. 4 E., and Secs. 25 and 36, 
T. 19 X., R. 3 E. Area of holdings, 467 acres. Operations were 
commenced on this property in January, 1900, with a 3 cu. ft. bucket 
Risdon dredge. This company is now operating one 5 cu. ft. Risdon 
dredge. The extent of ground worked is 50 acres. (See Ill. Xos. 48, 
49 and 50.) 

Feather Valley Gold Dredging Company , C. Jackson, manager, San 
Francisco. In Secs. 4 and 5, T. 18 X T ., R. 3 E. Area of holdings, 
220 acres. This ground was lately purchased and was drilled. 


YUBA DISTRICT. 

In this district no dredging was done until August, 1904. The two 
dredges built by the Yuba Consolidated Gold Fields Company are 
doing contract work for the Government retaining dams. They are 
thus making their tailings of value. There is only one company 
actually operating, but other lands have been drilled and it is estimated 
that there are 5,000 acres of gravel suitable for dredging. 

Prospecting. — This was done with drills. 

Values. —The gold is comparatively evenly distributed over the 
district. Estimates place the values at from 15 to 35 cents per cubic 
yard. As the gravel is much deeper than that in the Oroville district, 
a very rough estimate, without much data to go on, of the probable 
total yield of this district would be $50,000,000. 

Gravel. —The depth of the gravel in this district is greater than 
in any other in California, the Yuba Consolidated Gold Fields Com¬ 
pany digging to a depth of 60 feet. It is a loose, clean wash, free from 
clay, and contains no large bowlders. The dredges in operation use 
close-connected buckets. 

Bedrock. —The false bedrock to which the gravel is dredged is 
comparatively flat and very soft—a volcanic ash, with sand doubtless 
overlying other gravels. 

Power.— Electric power is used. 

Labor.— The wages paid on the dredges are $4 for winchmen and 
$3 for laborers. Higher wages are paid than at Oroville, in order to 
obtain more efficient men for larger and more expensive dredges. 

Transportation, Supplies, etc.— Rail facilities to Marysville are 
good, and a better wagon road is being built to the tract. 








^ A 






§5 


ILL. No. 50. STACKER END OF MARIGOLD COMPANY'S DREDGE AT OROVILLE. 



ILL. No. 51. 


YUBA CONSOLIDATED GOLD FIELDS’ DREDGES, EACH OF 6 CU. FT BUCKET 
CAPACITY. BUCYRUS TYPE. 















ILL. No. 52. YUBA CONSOLIDATED GOLD FIELDS’ DREDGES IN THE YUBA RIVER, EACH OF fi GIT. FT BUCKET CAPACITY BUCYRUS TYPE 













GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


91 


Gold. —The gold is very fine. As much as 20 per cent will pass 
through a 150-mesh screen. It readily amalgamates, the dredge using 
riffles and quicksilver. The value is about $18.50 per ounce. 

Ideal Conditions. —Practically all the conditions are ideal for suc¬ 
cessful and economical dredging. 

Yuba Consolidated Gold Fields, Newton Cleveland, manager, 
Marysville. In T. 16 X., R. 5 E., ten miles east of Marysville, on the 
Yuba River. Area of holdings, 3,000 acres. This company began 
operations in August, 1904, and has a contract from the Federal Gov¬ 
ernment for building a retaining dam at that point. Two dredges of 
the Bucyrus type of 6 cu. ft. bucket capacity are now at work. The 
company has contracted for four more dredges, and a number of 
others are contemplated. The cost of the two dredges now in opera¬ 
tion was about $200,000. Shaking screens, Hungarian riffles with 
quicksilver, and belt conveyors are used. 

It is notable that in this district these dredges are digging to a depth 
of 60 feet, which is more than 50 per cent greater than the depth of the 
gravel in the other Sacramento Valley districts. These dredges, which 
are new, are lifting 90,000 cubic yards per month each, with 200 horse¬ 
power. (See Ill. Nos. 51 and 52.) 

BEAR RIVER DISTRICT. 

Area. —About 1,000 acres of gravel on the Bear River near Wheat- 
land have been drilled systematically and proved of sufficient value to 
dredge. 

Gravel. — The depth of the gravel averages about 30 feet. It is all 
a clean wash, free from clay and with no large bowlders. 

Bedrock. — This is volcanic ash, similar to that at Folsom and 
Oroville. 

Power.— There is electric power available, at a cost similar to that 
at Oroville, namely, V/j cents per kilowatt hour. 

Wages.— For winchmen and laborers, this will be about $3.50 and 
$2.50 per day respectively. 

Transportation, Supplies, etc.— There are convenient rail facilities 
with San Francisco, and the neighboring farming country is a source 
of supplies. 

Gold.— The gold is comparatively very fine, twenty per cent of it 
impalpable, and in value about $18.50 per ounce. 


92 


GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


Conditions.— All the conditions are as favorable as those at Oroville, 
and very similar. 

Bear Fiver Mining Company , subsequently called Bear River 
Exploration Company, R. D. Evans, Boston. Location, near Wheat- 
land. Area of holdings, 1,000 acres. There are four Risdon dredges, 
two of which began operations in July, 1900, and the other two began 
in 1902. The first two have 3^4 cu. ft. buckets, and the last two 4 
cu. ft. buckets. The latter have a capacity of 50,000 cubic yards per 
month. The gravel runs from 40 to 50 feet in depth, and has some 
clay with it. Details of dredges are given in the large table accom¬ 
panying this Bulletin. 


FOLSOM DISTRICT. 

There are in this district five companies operating eight dredges, 
none of which use less than 5 cu. ft. buckets. The largest dredge 
has buckets of 13 cu. ft. capacity. Starting later than the operators 
at Oroville, they have made use of what has been learned there, and 
discarded all small dredges. The work is in the hands of people with 
plenty of capital and skilled engineers. One of the companies has a 
machinery plant larger than any other in California, outside of San 
Francisco, and is prepared not only to do its own repairing, but also 
to build its own dredges. This, of course, means a large saving of 
cost in repairing, and it indicates how companies with large areas to 
be worked and many dredges employed may very largely reduce the 
cost of dredging. 

Area.— The Folsom district, as it is called, extends from the town of 
Folsom to a short distance below the Fair Oaks bridge along the 
American River, a branch of the Sacramento, and in Sacramento 
County a distance of six miles, or a little more. Most of the gravel 
is on the south side of the river, and is in width, generally, from 1 to 
D /2 miles. The area of the gravel that has so far been acquired by the 
company, after investigation, is about 5,000 acres. 

Prospecting.— Practically all the prospecting of these gravels has 
been done with drills, there being too much water in the ground to 
permit the sinking of shafts. 

Values.— The gold is comparatively evenly distributed over the dis¬ 
trict, and the results of the drill samples indicate that the gravel will 
average from 15 to 25 cents per cubic yard. Taking the depth of the 
gravel as 10 yards, this would make the probable yield over $40,000,000. 

Gravel.— The depth of the gravel is from 16 to 50 feet, and in this 
respect varies more than does that at Oroville, because it is not spread 



GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


93 


over as wide an area. The average is about 30 feet. The gravel is all 
a very clean wash. In this connection it may be said that shaking 
screens are used instead of revolving screens in all except one dredge. 
There are no large bowlders to interfere with digging, and it may also 
be said that with the exception of the one dredge, all the buckets are 
close-connected. Except on some of the higher benches, where there 
is cement, there has been no need to use powder for blasting. 

Bedrock .—The bedrock here, as at Oroville, is a volcanic ash, or false 
bedrock, which may be dug without difficulty, and under which there 
is probably other gravel overlying the real bedrock. 

Power .—Electric power is used in all cases, at a cost of 0.65 of a 
cent per kilowatt hour. This is against 1% cents per kilowatt hour 
paid at Oroville, or less than one-half—an important consideration in 
the working costs. 

Water. — There is an abundance of water, supplied at low rates. 

Labor. —Experienced labor is easily obtained, the wages being 
usually $5 for foremen, and $3 and $3.50 for winchmen. Other laborers 
are paid from $2 to $2.50. 

Transportation, Supplies, etc .—There is a railroad into the district. 
The source of supplies is San Francisco and Sacramento, with low 
rates of freight. 

Gold .—The gold is comparatively very fine in size of particles, and 
the size of holes in the screens is usually three-eighths of an inch, as at 
Oroville. The mint value of the gold is about $19 per ounce. 

Conditions .—Taking all things into consideration, the conditions are 
ideal for economic working. 

Agriculture .—Not over one-half of the 5,000 acres of dredging 
ground in the Folsom district is of any value for agriculture. The 
value of the rest of the ground could not be placed at more than $100 
per acre, or a total of $250,000 for the whole tract. The yield in gold 
from this district will exceed $40,000,000, according to the estimates of 
values made. The value of this gold to the State at three per cent per 
annum w T ould amount to more than four times as much each year as the 
total value of the ground for agriculture. Then, of course, it may in 
time be reclaimed for agriculture, as lands of that character become 
more valuable. 

ptthris. — So far there has been no dredging in the river and no 
(debris whatever has been sent down by these dredges. In time, the 
river bed may be dredged, but, as at Oroville, this can be done without 
detriment. 






















GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


95 


COMPANIES OPERATING. 

The Ashburton Mining Company , Robert E. Cranston, manager, 
Sacramento. In Secs. 5, 6, 7, and 8, T. 9 N., R. 7 E., American River 
District, Sacramento County. Area of holdings, 310 acres. This 
company began operations March 1, 1899, with a dredge that was 
burned May 25, 1903. Its new dredge, made by the company at a cost 
of $120,000, of the Bucyrus type, has not been long in operation, but 
the cost per cubic yard for working is estimated at more than 5 cents. 
Another dredge will be built. The area of ground worked is 20 acres. 
(See Ill. No. 53.) 



ILL. No. 64. “EL DORADO No. 1,” FOLSOM FIELD. LATEST TYPE OF R*SDON BOAT. 

[Began operations May 1,1905.] 


El Dorado Gold Dredging Company , E. H. Benjamin, secretary, 
San Francisco. In T. 9 N., R. 6 E., and T. 9 N., R. 7 E., American 
River District, Sacramento County. Area of holdings, 550 acres. 
This company has prospected its ground with drills and is now operat¬ 
ing a Risdon 7 cu. ft. bucket dredge. Began operations April 25, 1905. 
(See Ill. No. 54.) 

Colorado-Pacific Gold Dredging Company, O. B. Perry, manager. 
In T. 9 N., R. 7 E. Area of holdings, 200 acres. Has two dredges, 
the first of which began work in April, 1899, and the other in 1902. 
Both are of the Risdon type; one with buckets of 314 cu. ft. capacity, 













































1 

7 —GD 








: ' ' 











98 


GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


and the other 5 cu. ft. The smaller machine has a capacity of 35,000 
cubic yards per month; the large one averages 60,000 cubic yards per 
month. This company is working in hard ground, for which reason 
one dredge is being rebuilt. (See Ill. No. 55.) 

Folsom Development Company and Syndicate Mining Company. 
(Both companies under one management.) [All information, even 
in such simple matters as capital stock of corporations, acreage of hold¬ 
ings, etc., refused by the manager—the only instance of the kind in 
the State. Lewis E. Aubury, State Mineralogist.] (See Ill. No. 56.) 

CALAVERAS COUNTY. 

So far there is being exploited and considered in this county one 
small tract of ground, which is described in the folloAving paragraph, 
and at present no other lands in the county are being considered with 
a view to dredging. 

Calaveras Gold Dredging Company , C. M. Derby, manager, Jenny 
Lind. In T. 3 N., R. 10 E., M. D. M., on the Calaveras River. Area 
of holdings, 350 acres. This company began operations in February, 
1904, with a Bucyrus dredge of 5 cu. ft. bucket capacity. Electric 
power is used. The cost of the plant is $75,000. "Wages are $3 for 
winchmen, and $2.50 for laborers. The average depth of the gravel is 
35 feet, and it is a clean gravel wash, free from clay, with a few large 
bowlders. The bedrock is a volcanic ash similar to that at Folsom and 
Oroville. About 8 acres of ground has been worked. 

PLUMAS COUNTY. 

In Plumas County, so far as prospecting has developed, about 1,500 
acres of dredging ground has been proved. 

SHASTA COUNTY. 

There are two dredges at work in Shasta County, both near Redding, 
and described in following paragraphs. The holdings of these two 
companies amount to 1,096 acres. Along Cottonwood Creek and its 
tributaries are large areas which are being considered, amounting 
to 3,000 or 4,000 acres. Some drilling has been done, but very little 
of this area has been proved of value. The gravel in the Cottonwood 
country and the bedrock are similar to that at Oroville, although the 
gravel is generally shallower. On Clear Creek an additional 2,000 
acres is being considered. (See Ill. No. 57.) 

No estimates of values were given by the Shasta owners except by 
the Detroit and California Mining Company, who report a recovery 
of from 25 cents to $1.50 per cubic yard in Clear Creek. 




GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


99 


As to power, it may be said that the Huron Submarine Mining and 
Construction Company uses steam, with crude oil for fuel, at a cost 
of $3 per horse-power per month, while the Detroit and California 
Mining Company uses electric power at a cost of $5 per horse-power 
per month. 

Huron Submarine Mining and Construction Company, G. A. DuBois, 
manager, Redding. In Sec. 25, T. 32 N., R. 5 W. Area of holdings, 
396 acres. This company began operations in the Sacramento River, 
three miles above Redding, and opposite the mouth of Middle Creek. 



ill. No. 57. THE BEDROCK OF THE SACRAMENTO RIVER AT MOUTH OF MIDDLE 

CREEK, ABOVE REDDING. 


The average depth of the gravel is from 8 to 25 feet. It is blue gravel 
with many bowlders. The gold is coarse and well worn, and worth 
about $19 per ounce. The bedrock is of igneous series, very rough. 
The dredge is unique, having neither buckets nor shovels. It was 
built by the company on its own plans. The boat is 65 feet long, 24 
feet wide, and draws 2 feet of water. A 75-horsepower engine operates 
a rock pump, air compressor, and auxiliary machinery. Oil is used 
for fuel at $1.17 per barrel, making the cost of power about $3 per 
horse-power per month. At the center of the boat is a steel shaft made 
with sections for extending to any required depth. Each section is 
boat-shaped, 8 feet wide, 6 feet high, and 11% feet long. (See Illustra- 











100 


GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


tions Nos. 58 and 59.) The sharp end of these sections heads np stream, 
thus cutting the water. The lower sections are cylindrical, the lowest 
being provided with a water-tight door for ingress and egress of divers. 
This shaft is sunk through water and gravel to bedrock gravel, 25 
feet deep being worked in November, 1904. Down the shaft extends 
the 10-inch column of the rock pump, and a 2-inch rubber hose to convey 
water under 100 pounds pressure to the mouth of the pump column. A 
diver in the shaft with the hose in hand works with freedom, direct¬ 
ing gravel to the mouth of the pump, and with the pressure cleaning the 
gold from crevices. The capacity of the pump is 1,500 cubic yards per 
day, and sufficient water to wash the gravel in the sluices. The divers 
receive $125 per month, working five hours each day, and can remain 
under water that length of time without coming to the surface. The 
cost of the plant was $110,000. Four men are required for a crew. 
The company estimates the cost of dredging at 3 cents per cubic yard. 
They express an intention of building another dredge of a larger size. 

Detroit and California Mining Company , T. R. Heintz, president 
and manager, Redding. In Sec. 36, T. 31 N., R. 6 W., and Sec. 31, 

T. 31 N., R. 5 W. Area of holdings, 700 acres. This company was 
organized and began operations in the summer of 1900 on a flat in 
Clear Creek canon, which formerly had been a lake-bed. The bed¬ 
rock at present laid bare is a false one, under which probably other 
gravel will lie on the true bedrock. The gravel, which is 20 feet deep, 
is a loose, clean wash, with a few large bowlders. The gold is coarse 
and well worn, and nearly 950 fine. The owners state that the value 
in gold per cubic yard is from 25 cents to $1.50, with a little platinum. 
Prospecting was done by sinking shafts. 

The dredge was designed by the manager, T. R. Heintz. The gravel 
is raised on the principle of the hydraulic elevator, the water being 
forced through the suction pipe by a centrifugal pump, and with the ' 
gravel is conveyed in a stave pipe to a 5-foot sluice paved with blocks. 
There are two undercurrents at the end of the sluice. The manager 
estimates the average cost of dredging at 5 cents per cubic yard. The 
average horse-power consumed is 750, at a cost of $3,750 per month. 
However, the amount of gravel handled is placed at 5,000 cubic yards 
each twenty-four hours. The cost of the plant is $100,000. 



ILL. No. 58. CURRENT BREAKERS AND CAISSONS OF THE HURON SUBMARINE MIN¬ 
ING AND CONSTRUCTION COMPANY AT REDDING. 



ILL. No. 


59. THE HURON SUBMARINE MINING AND CONSTRUCTION COMPANY’S 
CAISSON DREDGE ON SACRAMENTO RIVER, ABOVE REDDING. 








102 


GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


TRINITY COUNTY. 

The only dredge in operation is at Trinity Center, on gravel bars 
adjoining the Trinity River; but considerable areas of gravel have been 
located on bars along the river with a view to dredging. Of this, nearly 
2,000 acres are owned by two companies—one operating and the other 
proposing to build a dredge. There are along the river many bars that 
probably contain sufficient values, but a majority of them are too small 
for the cost of a plant. 

Prospecting .—All the prospecting has been done by sinking shafts. 



ILL. No. 60. THE GALVIN GOLD DREDGING COMPANY OF WEAVERVILLE, TRINITY 

COUNTY. 


Values.—The values are not evenly distributed, but in the best areas 
are fair. In most cases 15 cents or more is claimed. 

Gravel .—The depth of the gravel varies from about 15 to 25 feet. 
It is a clean wash, comparatively free from clay. The bowlders are 
large in places, but there are not enough of them to interfere mate¬ 
rially with the work. (See Ill. No. 61.) 

Bedrock .—The bedrock is slate, usually hard enough to interfere 
with the saving of coarse gold. 

Power.— Steam. 

Water. —Abundant. 












I 


ILL. No. 61. THE GALVIN GOLD DREDGING COMPANY’S DREDGE AT WEAVERVILLE, TRINITY COUNTY. (IDLE.) 

STACKER END VIEW, SHOWING CHARACTER OF GRAVEL. 















104 


GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


Labor. —Winchmen, $3 to $4; laborers, $2.50 to $3. 

Transportation.—By team from Redding. 

Gold. — The gold is coarse, as is also the platinum, of which there is 
considerable. In the dredge at Trinity Center, one-ineh holes are used 
in the screen. There has been dredged about 33 acres. 

The problem in Trinity County, as in Siskiyou County, is to devise 
a means of cutting the bedrock or cleaning it. A large proportion of 
the coarse gold is on the bedrock, or in it in crevices. Excepting in 
spots, this can not be dredged by the bucket dredges without a great 
deal of breaking down of parts. 



ILL. No. 62. THE POKER BAR DREDGE, TRINITY COUNTY. RISDON TYPE, 3J CU. FT. 

BUCKET CAPACITY. 

COMPANIES OPERATING. 

Alta Bird Mining and Dredging Company, Clary, Payne & Kiernan, 
Trinity Center. In Secs. 32 and 33, T. 37 N., R. 7 W., and Secs. 4 and 
5, T. 36 N., R. 7 W. Area of holdings, 687 acres. This company began 
operations April, 1901, and has worked 5 acres. It has one 3% cu. ft. 
bucket dredge (Urie, Kansas City, make), and contemplates build¬ 
ing another, or putting in a hydraulic elevator. 

Trinity Gold Dredging Company, H. G. Comstock, secretary, San 
Francisco. In T. 33 N., R, 9 W. Area of holdings, 1,100 acres. On 
this property a dredge worked 30 acres and was dismantled, not being 
strong enough. A 5 cu. ft. Monarch bucket dredge is now proposed. 




GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


105 


SISKIYOU COUNTY. 

There are in Siskiyou County three mines being worked with 
hydraulic elevators—two successfully in the Oro Fino district and one 
in Quartz Valley. One Risdon dredge is working at Callahan, on 
Scott River. A dipper dredge has been worked at Ilawkinsville, but 
is not now in operation, and one on the Klamath River, which is also 
idle. 

As in nearly all cases in the mountain districts of California, the 
bedrock is harder than in any of the Sacramento Valley districts, such 
as Oroville, Yuba, and Folsom. It has so far been found almost impos¬ 
sible to work by dredging, for the hard bedrock prevents the clean 
saving of the values, and breaks the bucket and other parts of the 
iadder. 

The values are in many cases very high, but as the gold is usually 
coarse, much of it lies on the bedrock. So far, hydraulic elevators 
seem to do the best work wherever there is not too much water to 
prevent cleaning the bedrock. 

The area of gravel in this county now being worked or under consid¬ 
eration by the elevators and dredges amounts to about 2,000 acres, but 
there is much more that would be exploited if more successful methods 
of operation could be devised. 

COMPANIES OPERATING. 

Wright & Fletcher. H. D. Wright and Mrs. C. D. Frye, Fort Jones. 
In Sec. 18, T. 43 N., R. 9 W. In the Oro Fino Mining District. Area 
of holdings, 200 acres. This company began operations in 1890, and 
has worked 20 acres of ground. The values are not given. In depth 
the gravel is from 20 to 60 feet, and consists largely of basaltic angular 
fragments. There are no bowlders. The bedrock is soft schists. 
Laborers are paid $2.50 per day. The gold is mostly fine and worth 
$16 per ounce. 

This mine is being worked with an Evans hydraulic elevator, with an 
outlet pipe 20 inches in diameter. The lift is 20 feet. The pressure 
pipe is 11 inches in diameter, with a head of 14 feet. The flume is 
3 feet wide, with block paving. 

Eastlick & Gardner. L. Eastlick, of Fort Jones, and S. Gardner, 
of Greenview. In Sec. 17, T. 43 N., R. 9 W., in the Oro Fino Mining 
District. Area of holdings, 25 acres. This company began operations 
in 1890, and has worked 8 acres. The values are not given. In depth 
the gravel is from 25 to 40 feet, and consists largely of schist and 
porphyry in fragments which are not much rounded. There are no 
bowlders. The bedrock is mostly soft slate. Laborers receive $2.50 
per day. The gold is mostly fine and worth $16.25 per ounce. 


106 


GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 



This mine is being worked 
with two Evans elevators. 
One has a 22-inch outlet pipe, 
a lift of 32 feet, and a 15- 
inch pressure pipe with a 
head of 300 feet. The other 
has an outlet pipe 13 inches 
in diameter, the lift is 32 
feet, and the pressure pipe 
is 13 inches in diameter with 
a head of 300 feet. The 
flumes are 24 inches wide, 
with block pavements and 
Hungarian riffles. 

Porters Bar Dredging 
Company, J. R. Wade, gen¬ 
eral superintendent, Calla¬ 
han. In Secs. 6, 7, and 17, 
T. 40 N., R. 8 W., below Cal¬ 
lahan, on Scott River. Area 
of holdings, 1,000 acres. 
The dredge of this company 
has been at work in the Scott 
River, below Callahan, for a 
number of years, but was 
purchased by the present 
company in the summer of 
1904, when it also acquired 
larger holdings below the 
present workings. The new 
company has made an exam¬ 
ination of its property with 
drills, checked by shafts 
sunk. The values are not 
given. In depth the gravel 
averages about 36 feet, and 
varies considerably in char¬ 
acter of materia], there being 
many large bowlders, mak¬ 
ing an open connection of 
buckets necessary. The bed¬ 
rock varies, some being shale, 
but mostly hard greenstone. 






GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


107 


Electric power generated by water power belonging to the company 
is used. The amount consumed in the dredge is 100 horse-power, which 
costs $2 per horse-power per month. There is an abundance of cheap 
water in all this country. Wages are $3 for winchmen, and $2.25 and 
$2.50 for ordinary laborers. Transportation is by rail from San 
Francisco, 337 miles, and by team over reasonably good roads, 25 miles 
from Gazelle. Scott Valley furnishes food supplies at low rates. The 
gold is coarse and worth from $17 to $18 per ounce. No platinum 
is found. 



ILL. No. 64. CONSOLIDATED MINING AND DREDGING COMPANY’S DREDGE AND CAIS- 
SON—THE CAISSON SHOWS AT STERN OF DREDGE. SISKIYOU COUNTY. 


The company proposes to have the dredge dig its own channel down 
the river over a mile to where the bedrock is softer. The dredge is of 
the Risdon type, with 5 cu. ft. bucket capacity, and the owners are 
at present making some modifications, particularly as to the bucket line, 
on account of the hardness of bedrock. The buckets are to be made 
much stronger, with lips heavier than is usual. These are 8 inches 
wide, and weigh about 140 pounds, against the usual 90 pounds, and 
protrude about 2 inches beyond the bucket. The links on which the 
buckets are placed are 6% inches deep and are connected by 23/4-inch 
pins. These links are 26 inches between center pins. The sides of 
the tumbler are 21 1 /2 inches. 











108 


GOLD DREDGING IN CALIFORNIA. 


Yreka Creek Gold Dredging Company, George A. Lounsberry, 
Ocean Park, Los Angeles County. In T. 45 N., R. 7 W. Area of 
holdings, 200 acres. Operations were commenced in 1899, with a single 
dipper dredge; but outside of the dipper, the installation to handle the 
gravel consists of two identical plants, one on each side of the dredge. 
Spuds are used for holding the boat in place. The dipper, of 1 cubic 
yard capacity, dumps on a revolving screen 18 feet long, with 1-inch 
holes in the first 10 feet and i^-inch holes in the remaining 8 feet. 
The sluicing tables are provided with burlap and wire-mesh riffles, 
together with sluice-boxes, 30 inches wide, with Hungarian riffles. A 
bucket stacker is used. It is claimed that under favorable conditions 
the dredge can handle 1,400 cubic yards daily.* Owing to hard bedrock, 
there were continual breakdowns and the dredge is now idle. (See 
Ill. No. 63.) 

Klamath Diver Gold Mining Company, J. A. Foster, president, Biggs. 
In Sec. 22, T. 46 N., R. 7 W., on the Klamath River. Area of holdings, 
77 acres. This company began operations in June, 1904, with a dredge 
designed by Mr. French. It is a steam-shovel dredge, but the bucket 
does not work on a boom, it being moved by two steel cables. This 
company’s property is on Garvey’s Bar, on the Klamath River, a little 
above the mouth of Humbug Creek. The average depth of the gravel 
is 60 feet, lying on a medium hard slate. It is coarse and there are 
many large bowlders. It is a blue gravel, with sulpliurets, but without 
black sand. The gold is mostly fine, and worth about $17.80 per ounce. 
Wages are $4 for the engineer, and $2 for laborers. Steam power 
costs $5 per horse-power per month. At present the dredge is not 
being operated. 

A. C. Brokaw, Fort Jones, is operating an hydraulic elevator in 
Quartz Valley. It is of the Hendy type, of 20 inches diameter, with 
6 -inch nozzle. With 1,500 inches of water under 230 feet of pressure, 
the owner reports that 2,500 cubic yards of gravel is raised 30 feet in 
twenty-four hours. 





APPENDIX. 























CALIFORNIA STATE MINING BUREAU. 


This institution aims to be the chief source of reliable information 
about the mineral resources and mining industries of California. 

It is encouraged in its work by the fact that its publications have 
been in such demand that large editions are soon exhausted. In fact, 
copies of them now command high prices in the market. 

The publications, as soon as issued, find their way to the scientific, 
public, and private libraries of all countries. 

STATE MINERALOGIST. 

The California State Mining Bureau is under the supervision of 
Hon. Lewis E. Aubury, State Mineralogist. 

It is supported by legislative appropriations, and in some degree 
performs work similar to that of the geological surveys of other States; 
but its purposes and functions are mainly practical, the scientific work 
being clearly subordinate to the economic phases of the mineral field, 
as shown by the organic law governing the Bureau, which is as follows: 

Sec. 4. It shall be the duty of said State Mineralogist to make, facilitate, and 
encourage special studies of the mineral resources and mineral industries of the 
State. It shall be his duty : To collect statistics concerning the occurrence of the 
economically important minerals and the methods pursued in making their valu¬ 
able constituents available for commercial use; to make a collection of typical 
geological and mineralogical specimens, especially those of economic or commercial 
importance, such collection constituting the Museum of the State Mining Bureau ; 
to provide a library of books, reports, drawings, bearing upon the mineral industries, 
the sciences of mineralogy and geology and the arts of mining and metallurgy, such 
library constituting the Library of the State Mining Bureau ; to make a collection 
of models, drawings, and descriptions of the mechanical appliances used in mining 
and metallurgical processes; to preserve and so maintain such collections and library 
as to make them available for reference and examination, and open to public inspec¬ 
tion at reasonable hours; to maintain, in effect, a bureau of information concern¬ 
ing the mineral industries of this State, to consist of such collections and library, 
and to arrange, classify, catalogue, and index the data therein contained, in a 
manner to make the information available to those desiring it, and to provide a 
custodian specially qualified to promote this purpose; to make a biennial report to 
the Board of Trustees of the Mining Bureau, setting forth the important results 
of his work, and to issue from time to time such bulletins as he may deem 
advisable concerning the statistics and technology of the mineral industries of this 
State. 

THE BULLETINS. 

The field covered by the books issued under this title is shown in 
the list of publications. Each bulletin deals with only one phase of 
mining. Many of them are elaborately illustrated with engravings 
and maps. Only a nominal price is asked, in order that those who 
need them most may obtain a copy. 



112 


CALIFORNIA STATE MINING BUREAU. 


THE REGISTERS OF MINES. 

The Registers of Mines form practically both a State and a County 
directory of the mines of California, each county being represented in 
a separate pamphlet. Those who wish to learn the essential facts about 
any particular mine are referred to them. The facts and figures are 
given in tabular form, and are accompanied by a topographical map of 
the county on a large scale, showing location of each mineral deposit, 
towns, railroads, roads, power lines, ditches, etc. 

HOME OF THE BUREAU. 

The Mining Bureau occupies the north half of the third floor of 
the Ferry Building, in San Francisco. All visitors and residents are 
invited to inspect the Museum, Library, and other rooms of the Bureau 
and gain a personal knowledge of its operations. 

THE MUSEUM. 

The Museum now contains over 16,000 specimens, carefully labeled 
and attractively arranged in showcases in a great, well-lighted hall, 
where they can be easily studied. The collection of ores from Cali¬ 
fornia mines is of course very extensive, and is supplemented by many 
cases of characteristic ores from the principal mining districts of the 
world. The educational value of the exhibit is constantly increased 
by substituting the best specimens obtainable for those of less value. 

These mineral collections are not only interesting, beautiful, and in 
every way attractive to the sightseers of all classes, but are also educa¬ 
tional. They show to manufacturers, miners, capitalists, and others 
the character and quality of the economic minerals of the State, and 
where they are found. Plans have been formulated to extend the 
usefulness of the exhibit by special collections, such as one showing the 
chemical composition of minerals; another showing the mineralogical 
composition of the sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous rocks of the 
State; the petroleum-bearing formations, ore bodies, and their country 
rocks, etc. 

Besides the mineral specimens, there are many models, maps, photo¬ 
graphs, and diagrams illustrating the modern practice of mining, 
milling, and concentrating, and the technology of the mineral indus¬ 
tries. An educational series of specimens for high schools has been 
inaugurated, and new plans are being formulated that will make the 
Museum even more useful in the future than in the past. Its popu¬ 
larity is shown by the fact that over 100,000 visitors registered last 
year, while many failed to leave any record of their visit. 









8—GD 


ILL. No. 66. MINERAL MUSEUM, CALIFORNIA STATE MINING BUREAU. 
















114 


CALIFORNIA STATE MINING BUREAU. 


THE LIBRARY. 

This is the mining reference library of the State, constantly con¬ 
sulted by mining men, and contains between 4000 and 5000 volumes 
of selected works, in addition to the numerous publications of the 
Bureau itself. On its shelves will be found reports on geology, min¬ 
eralogy, mining, etc., published by states, governments, and indi¬ 
viduals; the reports of scientific societies at home and abroad: 
encyclopaedias, scientific papers, and magazines; mining publications; 
and the current literature of mining ever needed in a reference library. 

Manufacturers’ catalogues of mining and milling machinery by 
California firms are kept on hie. The Registers of Mines form an 
up-to-date directory for investor and manufacturer. 

The librarian’s desk is the general bureau of information, where 
visitors from all parts of the world are ever seeking information about 
all parts of California. 

READING-ROOM. 

This is a part of the Library Department and is supplied with over 
one hundred current publications. Visitors will find here various 
California papersrand leading mining journals from all over the world. 

The Library and Reading-Room are open to the public from 9 a. m. 
to 5 p. m. daily, except Sundays and holidays. 

THE LABORATORY. 

This department identifies for the prospector the minerals he finds, 
and tells him the nature of the wall rocks or dikes he may encounter 
in his workings; but this department does not do assaying nor compete 
with private assayers. The presence of minerals is determined, but 
not the percentage present. No charges for this service are made to 
any resident of the State. Many of the inquiries made of this depart¬ 
ment have brought capital to the development of new districts. Many 
technical questions have been asked and answered as to the best 
chemical and mechanical processes of handling ores and raw material. 
The laboratory is well equipped. 

THE DRAUGHTING-ROOM. 

In this room are prepared scores of maps, from the small ones filling 
only a part of a page, to the largest County and State maps; and the 
numerous illustrations, other than photographs, that are constantly 
being required for the Bulletins and Registers of Mines. In this room, 
also, will be found a very complete collection of maps of all kinds 
relating to the industries of the State, and one of the important duties 
of the department is to make such additions and corrections as will 
keep the maps up to date. The seeker after information inquires here 
if he wishes to know about the geology or topography of any district; 
about the locations of the new camps, or positions of old or abandoned 






CALIFORNIA STATE MINING BUREAU. 


115 


ones; about railroads, stage roads, and trails; or about the working 
drawings of anything connected with mining. 


MINERAL STATISTICS. 

One of the features of this institution is its mineral statistics. Their 
annual compilation by the State Mining Bureau began in 1893. No 
other State in the Union attempts so elaborate a record, expends so 
much labor and money on its compilation, or secures so accurate a one. 

The State Mining Bureau keeps a careful, up-to-date, and reliable 
but confidential register of every producing mine, mine-owner, and 
mineral industry in the State. From them are secured, under pledge 
of secrecy, reports of output, etc., and all other available sources of 
information are used in checking, verifying, and supplementing the 
information so gained. This information is published in an annual 
tabulated, statistical, single-sheet bulletin, showing the mineral pro¬ 
duction by both substances and counties. 


TOTAL GOLD PRODUCT OF CALIFORNIA—1848-1906. 


1848... 

.. |245,301 

1864... 

.. $24,071,423 

1880... 

.. $20,030,761 

1896.... 

.. $17,181,562 

1849... 

.. 10,151,360 

1865... 

.. 17,930,858 

1881... 

.. 19,223,155 

1897.... 

15,871,401 

1850... 

.. 41,273,106 

1866... 

.. 17.123,867 

1882... 

- 17,146,416 

1898-... 

15,906,478 

1851... 

.. 75,938,232 

1867... 

- 18,265.452 

1883... 

.. 24,316,873 

1899.... 

15.336,031 

1852... 

.. 81.294,700 

1868... 

.. 17.555,867 

1884... 

.. 13,600.000 

1900.... 

15,863,355 

1853... 

... 67.613,487 

1869... 

.. 18,229,044 

1885... 

.. 12.661,044 

1901.... 

16,989,044 

1854... 

... 69,433,931 

1870... 

.. 17.458,133 

1886... 

.. 14,716,506 

1902_ 

16,910,320 

1855.... 

... 55.485.395 

1871.... 

.. 17,477,885 

1887... 

.. 13,588.614 

1903-... 

16,471.264 

1856... 

... 57.509.411 

1872... 

.. 15,482,194 

1888... 

.. 12,750,000 

1904.... 

19,109,600 

1857-... 

... 43,628,172 

1873... 

._ 15.019,210 

1889... 

.. 11.212,913 

1905.... 

19,197,043 

1858... 

46,591,140 

1874... 

.. 17.264,836 

1890... 

.. 12.309,793 

1906.... 

18,732,452 

1859... 

... 45.846,599 

1875... 

.. 16,876,009 

1891... 

.. 12,728,869 


— 

I860... 

.. 44.095,163 

1876... 

.. 15,610,723 

1892... 

.. 12,571.900 

Total 

..$1,452,785,763 

1861... 

... 41,884,995 

1877... 

.. 16,501,268 

1893... 

.. 12,422,811 


1862... 

... 38,854,668 

1878... 

.. 18,839,141 

1894._. 

.. 13,923,281 



1863.... 

.. 23,501,736 

1879... 

.. 19,626,654 

1895... 

.. 15.334,317 




COUNTY RANK IN GOLD PRODUCT IN 1906. 

While gold is still the leading mining product, its yield no longer 
puts the greatest gold-producing county in the first place. The petro¬ 
leum of Kern County and the copper of Shasta give them precedence. 
Gold is more widely distributed than any other substance thus far 
mined in California; 35 counties out of the 57 in the State showing a 
gold yield in 1906, and it is known to exist in several others. 






































































ILL. No. 68. LABORATORY, CALIFORNIA STATE MINING BUREAU 





































CALIFORNIA STATE MINING BUREAU. 


11 ' 


TOTAL MINERAL PRODUCT OF CALIFORNIA FOR 1906. 

The following table shows the yield and value of mineral substances 
of California for 1906, as per returns received at the State Mining 


Asbestos... 

Asphalt__ 

Bituminous Rock. 

Borax (crude). 


Chrome_ 

Clays (brick) __ 
Clays (pottery) 
Coal.. 


Fullers Earth ... 

Gems__ 

Glass Sand.. 

Gold... 

Granite.. 

Infusorial Earth. 

Gypsum_ 

Lead.. 

Lime.. 

Limestone_ 


Manganese_ 

Magnesite (crude) 

Marble.. 

Mineral Paint_ 


Natural Gas... 
Paving Blocks. 


Platinum _ 

Pyrites. 

Quicksilver_ 

Rubble. 

Salt... 

Sandstone_ 

Serpentine.. 

Soda. 

Silver (com. value) 

Slate__ 

Tungsten.. 

Zinc.... 


iries sent to producers: 

Quantity. 

Value. 

70 tons 

$3,500 

77,756 “ 

777,560 

16,077 “ 

45,204 

58,173 “ 

1,182,410 

1,286 000 bbls. 

1,941,250 

317 tons 

2,859 

277,762 M 

2,538,848 

167,267 tons 

162,283 

24,850 “ 

61,600 

.. 28,726,448 lbs. 

5,522,712 

440 tons 

10,500 


497,090 

9,750 tons 

13 375 


18,732,452 

329,810 cu. ft. 

344,083 

2,430 tons 

14,400 

21 000 “ 

69,000 

338,718 lbs. 

19,307 

689.268 bbls. 

763,060 

80,262 tons 

162,827 

. 1,066.164 “ 

870 887 

1 " 

30 

4.032 “ 

40.320 

31.400 cu. ft. 

75,800 

250 tons 

1,720 

. 1 585,690 gals. 

478,186 

168,175 M.cu. 

ft. 109.489 

4,203 M 

173,432 

. 32.624.000 bbls. 

9,238.020 

91.46 ounces 

1.647 

46,689 tons 

145,895 

19,516 flasks 

712,334 

489,208 tons 

547,519 

101,650 »• 

213.228 

182,076 cu. ft. 

164.068 

847 cu. ft. 

1,694 

12,000 tons 

18,000 


817,830 

10,000 squares 100,000 


189,100 

206,000 lbs. 

12,566 


$46,776,085 


.1 














































118 


CALIFORNIA STATE MINING BUREAU. 


RELATIVE RANK OF COUNTIES IN TOTAL MINERAL PRODUCT IN 1906, 


1. Shasta..-.$5,745,843 

2. Kern_5,417,828 

3. Butte_ 3,031,325 

4. Nevada_ 2,691,939 

5. Calaveras- 2,682,863 

6. Los Angeles.... 2,345,202 

7. Amador_ 2.305.943 

8. Fresno. 2.135.046 

9. Santa Barbara. 1,564,814 

10. Orange_ 1,220,400 

11. Sacramento ... 1,171,258 

12. Tuolumne_ 1,106,230 

13. Alameda_ 1,104,820 

14. SanBernardino 623,414 

15. Trinity. 570,013 

16 El Dorado_ 556,574 

17. Santa Cruz_ 445.092 

18. Sierra.. 411,884 

19. San Diego_ 384,388 


20. Mariposa_ $369,771 

21. Sonoma_ 353,073 

22. Mono_ 351,849 

23. Riverside_ 350,673 

24. Santa Clara ._ 298,834 

25. San Benito-.... 289,029 

26. Marin.. 252,600 

27. Contra Costa.. 244.047 

28. Tulare... 230,810 

29. Plumas... 230,460 

30. San Mateo_ 223,743 

31. Ventura_ 205,942 

32. Madera_ 199,314 

33. Lake. 198.909 

34. Napa. 180,147 

35. San Francisco 175,039 

36. San L. Obispo 172,396 

37. Solano_ 166.759 

38. Placer.... 139,192 


39. San Joaquin... $104,615 

40. Colusa_ 101,972 

41. Monterey_ 64,153 

42. Humboldt_ 57,780 

43. Inyo_ 50 264 

44. Kings.. 20,000 

45. Mendocino_ 14.819 

46. Tehama_ 9.600 

47. Merced_ 6.000 

48. Del Norte_ 5.978 

49. Stanislaus- 1,720 

50. Siskiyou_ 1,500 

51. Yuba .. 800 

52. Yolo_ 204 

Unapportioned... 6,189,217 


Total_$46,776,085 


MINING BUREAU PUBLICATIONS. 


Publications of this Bureau will be sent on receipt of the requisite 
amount and postage. Only stamps, coin or money orders will be 
accepted in payment. (All ‘publications not mentioned are exhausted.) 

Attention is respectfully called to that portion of Section 8, amend¬ 
ment to the Mining Bureau Act, approved March 10,1903, which states: 

‘‘The Board (Board of Trustees) is hereby empowered to fix a price 
upon, and to dispose of to the public, at such price, any and all pub¬ 
lications of the Bureau, including reports, bulletins, maps, registers, 
etc. The sum derived from such disposition must be accounted for and 
used as a revolving printing and publishing fund for other reports, 
bulletins, maps, registers, etc. The prices fixed must approximate 
the actual cost of printing and issuing the respective reports, bulletins, 
maps, registers, etc., without reference to the cost of obtaining and 
preparing the information embraced therein.” 


Report XI—1892, First Biennial_____ 

Report XIII—1896, Third Biennial.... 

Bulletin No. 6—- Gold Mill Practices in California” (3d edition)_ 

Bulletin No. 9—‘ Mine Drainage, Pumps, etc.,” bound.... 

Bulletin No. 15—“Map of Oil City Oil Fields, Fresno County, Cal.” ... 

Bulletin No. 19—“Oil and Gas Yielding Formations”.. 

Bulletin No. 23—“Copper Resources of California"____ 

Bulletin No. 24—“Saline Deposits of California” ___ 

Bulletin No. 27—“Quicksilver Resources of California”___ 

Bulletin No. 30—“Bibliography Relating to the Geology, Paleontology 

and Mineral Resources of California, including List of Maps ’... 

Bulletin No. 31—“Chemical Analyses of California Petroleum”.. 

Bulletin No. 32—“Production and Use of California Petroleum”_ 

Bulletin No. 36—“Gold Dredging in California” (2d edition).. 

Bulletin No. 37—“Gems and Jewelers’Materials of California” (2d ed.)„ 
Bulletin No. 38—“Structural and Industrial Materials of California”’ .. 
Bulletin No. 42—“Mineral Production of California "—1905__ 


Price. 

Postage. 

$1 00 

$0 15 

1 00 

20 

50 

04 

60 

08 

05 

02 

50 

08 

50 

12 

50 

.10 

75 

08 

50 

10 

. _ 

02 

75 

08 

50 

08 

50 

08 

75 

20 


02 























































CALIFORNIA STATE MINING BUREAU. 119 

Price. Postage. 

Bulletin No. 45—“Auriferous Black Sands of California . $0 10 $0 02 

Bulletin No. 46—“Index of Mining Bureau Publications”--__ 30 06 

Bulletin No. 47—“Mineral Production of California ’—1906.... 02 

Bulletin No. 48—“Mineral Production of California for 20 Years”_ 02 

Bulletin No. 49—“Mines and Minerals of California" ... , 03 

California Mine Bell Signals (Cqrdboard)_ 05 02 

California Mine Bell Signals (Paper)_ 03 02 

Gold Production in California from 1848 to 1906 ........ .. 02 

Register of Mines, with Map, Amador County.. 25 08 

Register of Mines, with Map, Butte County. 25 08 

Register of Mines, with Map, El Dorado County... 25 08 

Register of Mines, with Map, Inyo County_ 25 08 

Register of Mines, with Map, Kern County.. 25 08 

Register of Mines, with Map, Lake County_ 25 08 

Register of Mines, with Map, Mariposa County__ 25 08 

Register of Mines, with Map, Nevada County_ 25 08 

Register of Mines, with Map, San Bernardino County.. 25 08 

Register of Mines, with Map, San Diego County.. 25 08 

Register of Mines, with Map, Santa Barbara County......... 25 08 

Register of Mines, with Map. Shasta County. 25 08 

Register of Mines, with Map, Sierra County_ 25 08 

Register of Mines, with Map, Siskiyou County-- 25 08 

Register of Mines, with Map, Trinity County- 25 08 

Register of Mines, with Map, Tuolumne County-- 25 08 

Register of Mines, with Map. Yuba County_,. 25 08 

Register of Oil Wells, with Map, Los Angeles City- 35 02 

Map of Mother Lode_______- 05 02 

Map of Desert Region of California_ 10 02 

Map Showing Copper Deposits in California.. 05 02 

Map of Calaveras County- 25 03 

Map of Placer County...-- 25 08 

Map of Plumas County-- 25 03 

Map Minaret District Madera County.---- 20 02 

Mineral and Relief Map of California. 25 05 

Map of Forest Reserves in California (Mounted). 50 08 

Map of Forest Reserves in California (Unmounted)-- 30 06 

IN PREPARATION— 

Bulletin— ‘Revised Edition Copper Resources of California." 

Samples (limited to three at one time) of any mineral found in the 
State may be sent to the Bureau for identification, and the same will be 
classified free of charge. No samples will be determined if received 
from points outside the State. It must be understood, that No Assays , 
or Quantitative Determinations ivill be made. Samples should be in a 
lump form if possible, and marked plainly with name of sender outside 
of package , postoffice address , etc. No samples will be received unless 
charges are prepaid. A letter should accompany sample and a stamp 
should be enclosed for reply. 






























































































































































































































DREDGE DATA ACCOMPANYING BULLETIN No. 36—“DREDGE MINING IN CALIFORNIA.” 

Issued by the State Mining Bureau, Ferry Building, San Francisco. LEWIS E. AUBURY, State Mineralogist, 1905. 


Name or Company. 


Oroville District. 

Feather River Exploration Co... 

Feather River Exploration Co__ 

Kia Ora Gold Dredging Co. __ 

Marigold Dredging Co.... . 

Lava Beds Dredging Co.____ 

Indiana Gold Dredging and Mining Co. 

Indiana Gold Dredging and Mining Co. 

Boston and Oroville Mining Co___ 

Boston and Oroville Mining Co.. 

Boston and California Dredging Co.... 

Boston and California Dredging Co. 

Boston and California Dredging Co.- 

Oroville Gold Dredging and Exploration Co.- 

Oroville Gold Dredging and Exploration Co._ 

Cherokee Gold Dredging Co.. . .— 

Pennsylvania Dredging Co... 

Butte Gold Dredging Co.... 

American Gold Dredging Co__-. 

American Gold Dredging Co... — 

El Oro Dredging Co. ___ 

Jas. H. Leggett_ 

Viloro Syndicate, Ltd.....-.. 

Oroville Gold Dredging Co.___ 

Central Gold Dredging Co___ _ 

Yuba District. 

Yuba Consolidated Gold Fields. .. 

A 

Bear River District. 

Bear River Mining Co. No. 1 . -. 

Bear River Mining Co. No. 2 .. . . 

Bear River Exploration Co. No. 3. 

Bear River Exploration Co. No. 4 ... 

Folsom District. 

The Ashburton Mining Co. 

El Dorado Gold Dredging Co-- ... 

Syndicate Mining Co..—. 

Folsom Development Co ____- 

Folsom Development Co . 

Folsom Development Co ..-.- 

Colorado-Pacific Gold Dredging Co . 

Colorado-Pacific Gold Dredging Co . 

Calaveras District. 

Calaveras Gold Dredging Co. ..— 

Trinity District. 

Alta Bird Mining and Dredging Co. . 

Trinity Gold Dredging Co .-. 

Shasta District. 

Detroit and California Mining Co . 

Huron Submarine Mining and Construction Co.. 

Siskiyou District. 

Porter's Bar Dredging Co. . 

Klamath River Gold Mining Co . 

Yreka Creek Gold Dredging Co.--- .. 

Wright & Fletcher ... 

East lick & Gardner . 

A. C. Brokatv . 


Officers. 


J. J. Hamlyn, Mgr., Oroville . 

J. J. Hamlyn, Mgr., Oroville. 

R. H. Postlethwaite, Pres., San Francisco-. 

J. W. Goodwin, Pres., San Francisco_ 

J. W. Goodwin, Pres., San Francisco_ 

0. C. Perry, Mgr., Oroville.. . 

0. C. Perry, Mgr., Oroville . 

W. P. Hammon, Mgr., Oroville. . 

W. P. Hammon, Mgr., Oroville . 

W. P. Hammon, Mgr., Oroville .. 

W. P. Hammon, Mgr., Oroville . 

W. P. Hammon, Mgr., Oroville. 

C. H. Munro, Mgr., Oroville.. 

C. H. Munro, Mgr., Oroville . 

L. J. Hold, Mgr., Oroville.. 

Sam W. Cheyney, Mgr., San Francisco.. 

B. Noyes, Secy., San Francisco.. 

F. S. Mayhew, Secy., San Francises. 

F. S. Mayhew, Secy., San Francisco. 

B. Noyes, Secy., San Francisco.. 

J. H. Leggett, Oroville . . 

J. W. Pew, Secy., San Francisco.. 

F. S. Mayliew, Secy., San Francisco. 

F. S. Mayhew, Sec. and Mgr., San Francisco 


Newton Cleveland, Mgr., Marysville. 


R. D. Evans, Owner, Boston. 
R. D. Evans, Owner, Boston. 
R. D. Evans, Owner, Boston. 

I It. D. Evans, Owner, Boston 


R. E. Cranston, Mgr., Sacramento... 
E. H. Benjamin, Secy., 8an Francisco. 


O. B. Perry, Mgr., San Francisco. 
O. B. Perry. Mgr., San Francisco. 


C. M. i>erby, Mgr., Jenny Lind. 


Clary, Payne & Kiernan, Trinity Center. 
H. G. Comstock, Secy., San Francisco_ 


j T. R. Heintz, Mgr., Redding, 
j G. A. DuBois, Mgr., Redding . 


J. R. Wade. Mgr.. Callahan... 

J. A. Foster, Pres.. Biggs. Cal. __ 

Geo. A. Lounsiierry, Ocean Park, Cal . 

Oro Fino, Cal ..... 

Oro Fino, Cal .. 

Fort Jones .... . 


Capital. 


$250,000 


50,000 


7.50,000 j 


200,000 
, 200,000 

000,000 


180,000 

300,000 


250,000 


200,000 


600,000 


Location of Property. 

Acreage 

BeKan 

Operations. 

Depth 

of 

Gravel, 

in 

Feet. 

Secs. 24, 25, T. 19 N„ R. 3 E. 

850 

Mar. 

1, 1898 

26 

Secs. 24, 25, T. 19 N.. R. 3 E. 





Sec. 3, T. 18 N., R. 3 E. 

153 

May, 

1899 

28 

Secs. 30, 81, T. 19 N., R. 4 E. 

1 




Secs. 25, 36, T. 19 N., R. 3 E. 

,► 4(>< 

Jan., 

1900 

30 

Secs. 19, 30, T. 19 N., R. 4 E. 

750 

June. 

1900 

40 

Secs. 13, 18, T. 19 N„ R. 4 E. 

175 

July 

1, 1901 

30 

Secs. 13, 18, T. 19 N., R. 4 E. 





Secs. 17, 18, T. 19 N„ R. 4 E. 





Secs. 13,23,24, T. 19N.R.3E. 

j- 850 

July, 

1901 

30 




Htni 


Secs. 18, 19, T. 19 N., R. 4 E. 

300 

Mar., 

1902 

30 

Secs. 18, 19, T. 19 N„ R. 4 E. 


Mar., 

1902 

_ 

Secs. 18, 19, T. 19 N„ R. 4 E. 


Mar., 

1902 

. | 

Sees. 24, 25, T. 19 N., R. 4 E. 

600 

April, 

1902 

30 

Secs. 24, 25, T. 19 N., R. 4 E. 




.. 

Sec. 3, T. 18 N., R. 3 E. 

200 

Oct., 

1902 

45 

Sec. 25, T. 19 N„ R. 3 E. 

152 

Oct., 

1902 

30 

Sec. 7, T. 19 N„ R. 4 E. 

85 

Nov. 26,1902 

33 

Sec. 3, T. 18 N., R. 3 E. 

275 

Nov., 

1902 

30 

Sec. 3, T. 18 N., R. 3 E. 

. 

. 

. 

__ 

Secs. 17, 20, T. 19 N., R. 4 E. 

220 

Dee. 

1,1903 

35 

Sec. 18, T. 19 N., R. 4 E. 

70 

Mar. 31,1904 

30 

Secs. 19, 30. T. 19 N., R. 4 E. 

200 

Nov. 

1, 1904 

31 

Sec. 25, T. 19 N., R. 3 E. 

06 

Feb., 

1901 

30 

T. 19 N., R. 4 E. 

• 

150 

May, 

1904 

30 

T. 16 N„ R. 5 E. 

3.000 

August, 1901 

60 

Near Wheatland. 


July, 

1900 

' 

40 

Near Wheatland. 


July, 

1900 

40 


1 1,000 




Near Wheatland. 



1902 

50 

Near Wheatland. 

1 


1902 

50 

Secs. 5,6,7,8, T.9N., R. 7 IC. 

310 

Mar. 

1, 1889 

30 

Sec. .T.9N..R.6E. 

550 

Apr. 25, 1905 

35 

T. 9 N„ R. 7 E. 





T. 9 N., R. 7 E. 



1908 


T. 9N..R.7 E. 





T. 9 N., R. 7 E. 




T.9N., R. 7 E. 

i 

April, 

1899 

30 


V 200 




T. 9 N., R. 6 E. 

f 


1902 

35 

Sec. ... T. 3 N., R. 10 E. 

350 

Feb.. 

1904 

35 

Secs. 32, 33. T. 37 N., R. 7 W. 





Secs. 4, 5. T. 36 N., R. 7 W. 

[- 687 

April. 

1901 

18 

T. 33 N.. R. 9 W. 

1,100 

. 

. 

23 ! 

Secs. 3, 6. T. 31 N., R. 6 W. 

700 


1901 

20 

See. 25, T.32 N., R. 5 W. 

396 


1904 

8 U) 35 

Secs.6,7,17, T. 40N., R. 8 W. 

1,000 

Nov., 

1904 

36 

Sec. 22, T. 46 N., R. 7 W. 

77 

June. 

1904 

60 | 

T. 45 N.. R. 7 W. 

500 


1905 

30 






Sec. 17, T. 43 N., R. 9 

25 


1890 

25 to 40 | 

Quartz Valley. 






Character of 
Gravel. 


2 

5* 

o 

a 

•x 

3 


3 
is 

J 

v 

5C 

u 

4 


j 

O 


S « 

m * 

li 

3 s 


£ 2 
2 c 
■s l 
£c 
0) - 
S* 

is 
0 = 


j 41 


O w 

c X. 

. ej 

JZ CL 

S a 

I a J 
£Oa 
o 


Heavy, clean. 
Blue, heavy. 


bowlders. 

Heavy. 

Small angular 
fragments. 
Small angular 
fragments. 


Character of 
Bedrock. 


2 

4J 


bli 

3 

>, 


\ 

A 


a 

cS 

_o 

O 

> 

J 


3 

A 


A 

bo 

3 

•3 

>. 


Character of 
Values. 


Slate. 
Soft slate. 


Value. 

Cents 

Per 

Cu. Yd. 


c 

■e 


A 

a 

o 


B £ 

ej 


31 3 

J! 

«■*“ 

S*o 

c bD 
**3 
bCC 
3 oJ 

1 £ 

2 s 

y a 

S-- 

flj 

oT’p« 

3 


a 

St 


3 

5 

3! 

A 

L 

O 

2 

o 

O 


3 g 3 

-g3 
y °.5 
c £-2 

°k 

1ilrf 
_ a.--" 
3 .2.2 
» « gt 

S“g# 

^ S .l| 

c © 

-T3 bC 

•a 

25-2 c 
o w-o «s 
O 


o : 
*■1 


) Medium-sized 


grains. 

Gold and platinum 274 


.2 


18 

18 

18 

18 

18 

18 

18 


Soft, fine clav; !) „ 

shale. Coarse, worn. 

| 

Igneous, rough. I Coarse, worn. 


Shale and hard 
greenstone. 
Slate, hard. 

Hard greenstone. 
Soft schist. 
Soft schist. 


Coarse. 

Mostly fine gold. 
Fine. 

Fine. 

Fine. 


Number 

of 

Dredges. 


Make of 
Dredge. 


_ a 

P 

y » 
3 = 

5 8 
h >- 


■3 3 
3 71 

y 


3 

y 

9 

?- 

3 

J 

« 

3 

Su 

3 

1 


25 to 100 


Risdon .. 

Risdon _ 

Risdon _ 

Risdon_ 

Bucyrus - - 

Bucyrus 

Bucyrus 

Risdon 

Bucyrus 

Risdon 

Bucyrus _. 

Marion_ 

Risdon _ 

Bucyrus ... 
Bucyrus . 
See Remark* 
Bucyrus ... 
Bucyrus .... 
Bucyrus .... 
See Remark* 

Risdon_ 

Bucyrus ... 

Marion_ 

Bucyrus .. j 


Type of Dredge. 


•2 | Bucyrus .. j ^ofbuckets.'" 


Risdon 

Risdon 

Risdon 

Risdon 


O 

3 


Capacity 

of 

Buckets 

in 

Cu. Feet. 


Hull 

length 


Steam shovel. 

Endless chain 
of buckets. 


Bucket. 

Bucket. 

Bucket. 

Bucket. 


Owners . 

Risdon _ 

Risdon_ 

Bucyrus .. 
Bucyrus 
Owners.. 
Risdon ... 
Risdon ... 


Bucyrus_ 

Uric. 

Risdon ... j 

Owners ... j 
Owners. 


Risdon 

French 

Risdon 


•e 

3 

K 


Bucket. 

Continuous 

chain. 


Hydraulic 

elevator. 

Caisson. 


Bucket. 
Steam shovel. 
Endless bucket 


3* 

5 

31 


3 

3 
5 
5 

4 

5 
5 

4 

5 
5 
5 
34 

3 

5 

5 

5 

5 

34 

3 


3* 

»I 

4 

4 


5 

5 

5 

84 

3* 

5 


3* 

5 


80 

80 

70 

*1 

00 

80 

88 


88 


80 

94 

110 

80 

00 


Hull 

Width. 


00j 
88 
08 


90 


86 

80 

88 

88 

110 

90 

80 


70 

86 


80 

80 


100 

68 


90 


88 


30 

32 

30 

30 

36 

30 

34 

30 


Depth. 


Draught. 


30 


30 

30 

40 

36 

30 


‘4 




35 
30 

36 


36 


29 ] 6 

29 | 6 

30 7 

30 7 


50 

42 

30 


74 


29 

30 


27 

28 

36 

24 

30 


30 


Gold-Saving Tables. 


Stacker 


34 

4 

3 

34 

4 
4 
4 

3.J 


34 


54 

4 

4 


Revolving. 

Revolving. 

Revolving. 

Revolving. 

Shaking. 

Shaking. 

Shaking. 

Revolving. 

Shaking. 

Revolving. 

Shaking. 

Revolving. 

Revolving. 

Shaking. 

Shaking. 

Shaking. 

Shaking. 

Shaking. 

Shaking. 

Shaking. 

Revolving. 

Shaking. 


Cocoa matting and J [ 
expanded metal. |t 
Cocoa matting and I ) 
expanded metal, jl 
Cocoa matting and; ) 
expanded metal. If 
Cocoa matting and 1 
expanded metal. I 

Riffles. 

Riffles. 

Riffles. 

Riffles. 

Riffles. 

Riffles. 

Riffles. 

Riffles. 

Cocoa matting and 
I expanded metal. 


Riffles. 

Riffles. 

Riffles. 

Riffles. 

Riffles. 

Riffles. 

Cocoa mailing and ; 
expanded metal, if 

Riffles. 


4 Revolving. 


Shaking. 


34 

34 

4 

4 

4-2 

*i 

34 


Revolving. 
Revolving. J 
Revolving. J 
Revolving. 


3 

34 


Shaking. 

Revolving. 

Revolving. 

Shaking. 

Shaking. 

Shaking. 

Revolving. 

Revolving. 

Shaking. 

j Revolving. 
None. 


Bucket. 

Bucket. 

Bucket. 

Bucket, 

Belt. 

Belt. 

Belt, 

Bucket. 

Belt. 

Bucket. 

Belt. 

Bell. 

Bucket. 

Belt. 

Bell. 

Belt. 

Belt. 

Belt. 

Belt. 

Belt. 

Bucket. 

Belt. 


Electric. 

Electric. 

Electric. 

Electric. 


Actual 

Horse¬ 

power 

Consumed. 


(tost of Power. 


Capacity 
In Cu. Yas. 
Per Month 
Average. 


63 

100 

60 

IK) 


Electric. 125 lo 150 
Electric. 100 

Electric. 100 


Riffles. 


Killies. 


Belt. 


Bell. 


Cocoa mailing and 
expanded metal. 

Cocoa inattingand j ,, , , 

expanded metal. ( Bucket. 
Cocoa matting and i 
expanded metal. t 1 
Cocoa matting and 
expanded metal. 


Buckel. 


Bucket. 


Riffles. 


Bell. 


Cocoa matting and i D . , 
expanded metal. ( Bucket. 
Cocoa matting and / ... , 
expanded metal, f Bucket. 

Bell. 

Belt. 

Belt. 


Cocoa matting and | ,, , . 

expanded metal, f Bucket 
Cocoa inattingand / u , , 
expanded metal, f Bucket. 


Riffles. 


Riffles. 

Riffles. 


Belt. 

Belt. 
Centrifugal 


None. 


Revolving. 


Revolving. 


Blocks and under¬ 
current. 

Riffles. 


Cocoa matting and 
expanded metal. 

Riffles. 

Cocoa matting and 
expanded metal. 


^ Bucket, 
j Bucket. 


Electric. 

Electric. 

Electric. 

Electric. 

Electric. 

Electric. 

Electric. 

Electric. 

Electric. 

Electric. 

Electric. 

Electric. 

Electric. 

Electric. 

Electric. 

Electric. 

Electric. 

Electric. 

Steam. 
Steam. 
Steam. 
Steam. ; 

Electric. 

Electric. 

Electric. 

Electric. 

Electric. 

Electric. 

Electric. 

Electric. 


Electric. 

Steam. 

Steam. 


DO 


DO 


!M) 

120 

140 

80 

100 

100 

100 


90 


(iO 

90 


Cost of 
F.quipment. 


40 

100 


£ i 

□ 


40,000 

55,000 

31,800 

50,000 

54.000 to I 
60,000 jf 

42,000 


.54,000 


Acres 

Worked. 


Cost of 
Dredging 
in Cents 
Per 

Cu, Yd. 


$250,000 

33,000 

50,000 

75,000 

50.000 

50.000 

175,000 


150 

40 

50 

25 


40 

100 


45,000 

60,000 

90,000 

40,000 


50 

50 

90 

90 


54,000 
44,000 
48,000 
45,000 
90,000 
75,000 
55,000 

75,000 

18.000 to I 
24,000 If 

40.000 

90,000 

35,000 
35,000 
50,000 
50,000 


200,000 


45,000 

.50,000 

80,000 

70.000 

50,000 

50,000 

70.000 

75,000 

45,000 


00 


30 


10 

25 

1.5 

25 

4 


How Prospected. 


Wages 

Winchmen. 


Wages 
Da borers. 


Remarks. 


Shafts and drill. 

Drill .. 

Drill . 

Drill . 

Drill . 

Drill... . 

Drill . 

Drill .. 

Drill __ 

Drill . 

Drill . 

Drill .. 

Drill . 


$2 75 
2 75 

2 75 

3 00 
3 50 
3 00 
3 00 
3 00 
3 00 
3 00 
3 00 
3 00 
2 75 


84 

7 

7 

3 


20 


Drill . 

Drill.. 

Drill. . 

Drill and shafts.. 
Drill and shafts . 1 

Drill . 

Drill . 

Drill . 

j Shafts. 

Drill . 


200,000 


275 . .... 90,000 

70 •! >4 C PerK.W.!) m m 

r hour. it ’ 


60,000 


120,000 

90,000 

55,000 


20 

1 


. 14c per K.W. 
I ’ hour. 


ao 1 $5 per H. P. 

I per mo. 

50 . 


Steam. 

Electric. 

Steam. 

Electric. 


50 


100 


100 


1 $3 per H. P. 
I per mo. 


[ 35,000 
60,000 


30,000 

55,000 


15,000 

2,000 


30,000 

00,000 


5 

30 


90,000 


j $2 per H. P. I , 0{KK) 
per mo. f w.uuu 

$5 per H. P. j 30 000 
per mo. f ’ 

..j 60,000 


40,000 


20 

8 


10 

5 


Drill 

Drill. 
Drill 
Drill. 
Drill 

Drill 
Drill . 
Drill. 


3 00 
3 50 
3 50 
3 00 
3 00 
3 50 
3 50 
3 00 
3 00 

3 00 

4 00 


3 50 

40c per hour 


Drill . 
Drill 


Shafts, W. pump. 
Shafts .. 


Shafts and pipes j 

Drill and shafts. 
Shafts to water- 
Drill .. 


3 00 


3 Ml 

4 50 


$2 50 
2 50 
2 00 
2 50 
2 50 
2 50 
2 50 
2 50 
2 50 
2 50 
2 50 
2 50 
2 50 


The first successful dredge in California. 


2 50 
2 50 
2 50 
2 50 

2 50 

1 50 

3 00 

2 50 
2 50 
2 50 


3 00 


In course of construction. 

Cost of equipment includes machine shop and 
pump station. 

♦Golden State ami Miners' Iron Works, builders. 


j There were no breakdowns, no repair cos). New 
} dredge. Exceptional case, 
jl *Link Belt Machinery Co., builders. Few holes for 
I sampling. 

•Cost of power for 12 mouths, $8,361.00. 


■> m I Old dredge burned. Present one worked some 
- w } months. 

130c per 
1 hour. I 


Divers and En¬ 
gineers, 

$125, $100 per ino. 


3 Ot) 

4 00 
3 50 
2 50 
2 50 


Hard ground. For that reason rebuilding dredge. 


2 50 


2 50 

3 00 


♦Gravel, clean wash. All rocks handled by bucket. 
One-inch holes in screen. May, instead of new 
dredge, use hydraulic elevator. 

Data from old dredge, now dismantled. New one 
(Monarch) building. 


2 50 


2^5 1 Remodeling dredge, owing to conditions different 
2'50 ) from those in Sacramento Valley. 

2 00 Many sulphurets but no black sand in gravel. 

2 50 Formerly Souther dredge; rebuilt. 

Evans hydraulic elevator. 

One Martin hydraulic elevator. One Evans 
hydraulic elevator. 


































































































































































































































































































































































































































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